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Tuesday begins with wintry showers in the north and west. Through the rest of the day it will be windy and anywhere could have showers, but they continue to be heaviest and most frequent in northern and western parts of the UK. Snow falls to low levels in the north and over the hills substantial accumulations are expected. The showers bring a wintry mix in the south.

Temperatures range from 3C (37F) in Scotland to 7C (45F) and a significant wind chill will make it feel cold. See the rainfall and precipitation type radar for the latest view.

The Arpege chart shows where the showers are expected to be at 15:00 GMT today. It is possible they will penetrate further east than shown.

Meteo France Arpege 00z, 16th Jan, precipitation, 15:00 GMT Tue 16th Jan

Tonight heavy wintry showers continue and very strong winds could drive them eastwards at times. Accumulating snow is possible and a number of locations could wake up to a covering tomorrow. Strong winds make it feel bitterly cold.

Storm tomorrow night

Wednesday starts cold and showery but during the second half of the day a disturbance pushes in from the Atlantic. Most computer models show its centre tracking across Northern Ireland and northern England. The strongest winds will be on its southern flank and gusts of between 60mph and 85mph are possible tomorrow night and on Thursday morning. Southern counties also have outbreaks of rain but in northern and possibly central areas there is a risk of heavy snow.

The GFS chart below shows forecast wind gusts for 03:00 GMT on Thursday.  You can check the latest winds gust charts using the GFS chart viewer and the Meteo France Arpege chart viewer.

Meteo France Arpege 00z, 16th Jan, wind gusts, 04:00 GMT Thu 18th Jan

Cold and showery conditions return after the disturbance moves away eastwards on Thursday and they continue through Friday.

Uncertain outlook

By the weekend the showers become more scattered but it remains chilly. There is uncertainty about developments from early next week. Weather systems from the Atlantic are expected to influence the weather but it could be cold enough at times for snow in the north. There is also a low chance of high pressure building to the northeast of the UK and cold air trying to push in from the east.

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Forecast tools

Check the latest satellite images, computer model charts and rain radar:

EUMETSAT high resolution satellite images [NEW]

Rain and precipitation type radar

Meteo France Arpege forecast charts

Global Forecast System (GFS) forecast charts

16 day GEFS ensembles at a glance

Cold and changeable conditions develop in the short term and persist until about the 23rd January. Thereafter a range of outcomes are shown but most show temperatures recovering. There is a possibility of snow at times, especially in the north. View latest GEFS.