UK Weather: Miserable May Threatens Surprise Snow

Miserable May Threatens Surprise Snow

June is just around the corner, but snow fell in parts of the UK on Tuesday as shorts and flip flops were pushed further to the back of the wardrobe.

Cold northerly winds are now whipping across the Pennines, Shropshire, parts of Wales and Scotland, a confusing weather quirk just weeks after the cricket season began.

Meteorologist Chris Burton said even though the snow was late it was not unheard of this far into spring. He expects warmer temperatures for some by the weekend.

The forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "It is late to snow and it has happened because northerly winds brought colder air down from the Arctic and Scandinavia.

A man struggles in the snow in Durham today

"We have showers that can turn wintry on higher ground.

"The next few days are looking chilly but there are signs that the weekend will start to warm up towards the average. We might see temperatures of 17C in the South East on Sunday."

University lecturer Neil Farrington was walking his dogs in Castleside, near Consett, County Durham, when the snow fell this morning.

The 41-year-old father-of-three said: "It lasted for 20 minutes and it came down quite heavily with big flakes.

"It was quite a sight to behold, then it turned to rain and the snow on the ground disappeared.

"My oldest son was supposed to be playing cricket tonight so he was not best pleased.

"Getting snow after the FA Cup Final feels strange."

It's been a miserable May, followed by the wettest April since records began in 1912. However the preceding dry winter meant water companies and the Environment Agency refrained from lifting drought status from several areas for around two weeks. There is currently one flood warning in force for the South West.

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