New polar blast is set to cover the UK in snow for a White Easter

After milder temperatures this morning Britain is set to be hit by a fresh Arctic blast from Monday night which threatens a white Easter that stretches into April’s school holidays.

But a short-lived rise in temperature will today melt snow and – combined with heavy rain – will lead to floods in some areas after Storm Larisa battered parts of the UK with 50mph gales and blizzards.

The Met Office have said that a flow of cold air will feed into the north of the UK from Monday and it will extend south bringing much of the UK under a chilly spell overnight into Tuesday – and snow is forecast to hit throughout this week.

Today’s warmer weather – up to 14C in the South and 10C in the North – comes after Friday’s snow dump that brought dangerous conditions across parts of the country and lows of -15C in Scotland.

Heavy snow is now expected to fall in northern Scotland tomorrow morning and it will work its way down south throughout the day before hitting northern England late Monday afternoon, according the Met Office forecast.

After milder temperatures this morning Britain is set to be hit by a fresh Arctic blast from Monday night which threatens a white Easter. Pictured: Snow in London

Today's warmer weather – up to 14C in the South and 10C in the North – comes after Friday's snow dump that brought dangerous conditions across parts of the country. Pictured: A snow covered street in Bradford on Friday

Today’s warmer weather – up to 14C in the South and 10C in the North – comes after Friday’s snow dump that brought dangerous conditions across parts of the country. Pictured: A snow covered street in Bradford on Friday

Drivers stuck on the M62 between Manchester and Yorkshire on Friday as drivers took eight hours to travel 15 miles due to snowy conditions

Drivers stuck on the M62 between Manchester and Yorkshire on Friday as drivers took eight hours to travel 15 miles due to snowy conditions

Preston Tower in Northumberland covered in snow on Thursday, March 9

Preston Tower in Northumberland covered in snow on Thursday, March 9

Snow is expected Monday night in northern England and threatening the Midlands on Tuesday and Wednesday. The South is more likely to see rain as highs will drop to between 4C and 7C in midweek.

Temperatures overnight from Monday into Tuesday will see temperatures fall as low as -5C in northern Scotland, hovering at around freezing in the North of England around 3C in the Midlands and 5C in the South.

 Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Daniel Rudman said: ‘There is an increasingly strong signal for colder air to once again feed into the north of the UK during Monday.

‘This flow is likely to extend southwards with much of the UK likely to be under the influence of colder conditions overnight into Tuesday.

‘Tuesday is set to remain a cold day, but it is not expected to be as cold as conditions have been this week, and there will be brighter periods for most. There are likely to be some showers too, although any snow fall is expected be over higher elevations.’

And 50mph gusts may once again batter Britain from Monday, with the high speeds expected in the South, Midlands and in Wales from Monday afternoon, according to Met Office forecasts.

Weathermen warned of snow near Easter Sunday on April 9, leading bookmakers Coral to slash white Easter odds from 3/1 to 4/5.

Coral spokesman John Hill said: ‘There’s no danger of Easter eggs melting this year.’

A yellow snow and ice warning covers much of northern England and southern Scotland until 6am on Sunday

A yellow snow and ice warning covers much of northern England and southern Scotland until 6am on Sunday

Pictured: Saturday's snow in the North Yorkshire village of Great Ayton

Pictured: Saturday’s snow in the North Yorkshire village of Great Ayton

Yellow weather warnings have been issued for large swathes of the country this weekend. Pictured: Great Ayton, North Yorkshire covered in a layer of snow on Friday morning

Yellow weather warnings have been issued for large swathes of the country this weekend. Pictured: Great Ayton, North Yorkshire covered in a layer of snow on Friday morning

Dunsden in Oxfordshire was blanketed in frost yesterday as UK temperatures plunged

Dunsden in Oxfordshire was blanketed in frost yesterday as UK temperatures plunged

A woman struggled against the elements on a windy day at Dollymount strand in Dublin

A woman struggled against the elements on a windy day at Dollymount strand in Dublin

Leeds was hit by snow following Storm Larissa which brought gales and blizzards to the UK

Leeds was hit by snow following Storm Larissa which brought gales and blizzards to the UK

But the flurry of heavy snow did not stop revellers from hitting the bars in Leeds

But the flurry of heavy snow did not stop revellers from hitting the bars in Leeds 

Forecaster the Met Office issued weather warnings weather warnings across large swathes of the country for Saturday and Sunday.

A yellow snow and ice warning covers much of northern England – as fair south as Stoke-on-Trent and southern Scotland lasting from 6pm on Saturday until 6am on Sunday morning.

The Met Office warned that snowfall could cause travel disruption in the affected areas, with delays on roads stranding some vehicles and passengers.

Buses, train services and flights may also be delayed or cancelled, while untreated pavements and cycle paths could lead to risk of fall injuries. 

They added that there is a small chance of power outages in some affected areas.

Met Office records show the last widespread white Easter was in 2008. However, in 2013, the mercury dropped to then-record -12.5C lows. But more recently, 2019 sprang to a record-nudging 24.6C.

Ex-BBC and Met Office forecaster John Hammond said: ‘Frosts and snow may linger in forecasts into early April.’

A Met Office forecaster added: ‘Strong winds will draw colder air across much of the UK. The theme of snow is likely to continue.’

Thawing snow mixed with a month’s worth of rain in two days will threaten floods from today.

The Environment Agency said: ‘River- and surface-water flooding is possible from late Sunday into Monday for mainly high ground in the North and parts of the South West and South East. There may be travel disruption.’

March could be colder than winter for the first time in a decade. The temperature so far this month averages just 3.6C – some 2.1C below normal – Met Office figures for central England show.

Winter – from December to February – averaged 5C.

The UK Health Security Agency has in place a Level 3 Cold Weather Alert for the whole of England which is expected to remain in place until 9am on Monday.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at the UK Health Security Agency, said: ‘During periods like this, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may be more vulnerable to the cold weather, as it can have a serious impact on health.

‘If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can.’