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The Met Office has delivered its verdict on whether a 'Beast from the East' could strike the UK this month, with forecast maps showing temperatures set to plunge over the next week. The forecaster is warning that before the end of the month, there could be "snow across the country".

Earlier this month, almost every inch of the UK was under a Met Office weather warning, with heavy snow and ice wreaking havoc for millions of people, forcing hundreds of schools to remain shut for days. The bone-chilling weather resulted in yellow, amber and even a rare red weather alert, warning the cold and snow could pose a "danger to life" and even cut off communities as temperatures in the worst-hit areas plummeted well below zero. Some areas even saw up to 30cm of snow.

Weather maps for January 30 at midnight show the entirety of the UK from Kirkwall to Dorset blanketed in snow. Large parts of the East of England and the South East will be the only regions to miss out on the snowfall.

Fast forward to 6pm and the snow will have spread further to cover Sussex and Hampshire.

It is highly likely central Scotland will see 20cm of snow, whilst the north of England could see up to 15cm of snow.

By January 31 temperatures will plunge to as low as -12C in exposed Inverness between 12am and 6am alone, keeping snow settled on the ground as it falls.

The North West will shiver under -8C temperatures whilst Yorkshire and the Humber will only see the mercury hit an icy -6C.

Elsewhere, the Midlands will only see temperatures reach a chilly -4C, it will only be two degrees warmer in London, Surrey and the East of England.

The Met Office said in its latest long-range forecast, which covers the same period as WXCharts' maps (January 20 to 29), that the UK would come under "some influence from the east" which could produce colder conditions "later in the period". The agency said the transition "increases the chance of snow across the country".

The full forecast read: "Throughout this period, the UK will see a battle between Atlantic weather systems attempting to arrive from the west while high pressure and colder conditions attempt to exert some influence from the east. Initially, milder Atlantic air is expected to dominate.

"This should maintain often cloudy, changeable conditions with showers or longer spells of rain for most. The wettest weather in western parts of the country, drier in the east.

"Temperatures overall likely to be around average with some night frosts in clearer areas. Later in the period, there is an increased chance that conditions will turn colder. This aspect of the forecast is still somewhat uncertain but the potential transition to colder weather also increases the chance of snow across parts of the country."