The UK is braced for a 1,500-mile wide ‘Arctic assault’ in the days and weeks ahead with forecasters predicting colder temperatures than Scandinavia.

Meteorologists have predicted temperatures as low as -5 degrees making parts of the UK colder than countries such as Finland ahead of Valentine’s Day.

The Met Office predicts: "On Friday, wintry showers likely to affect northern areas, becoming lighter and less frequent through the day, while elsewhere expected to be dry with plenty of sunshine."

“Wintry showers” predictions last week were backed up by high pressure over the weekend suggesting we could be set to see snowfall.

Met Office February forecast 

The Met Office’s forecast for February 11 to February 20 reads: "Rainfall will be limited at first with a risk of some wintry showers in the north and east, with an increasing chance of rain in western and northwestern areas later."

The Met Office adds temperatures could be “colder” than average.

The worst of the weather is anticipated to hit at the back end of this week and leading into next with mid-February expected to be particularly cold.

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