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With the UK being well into March, many Brits may believe winter is well behind us. However, weather maps looking at conditions later this month suggest millions could soon face the return of bitterly cold conditions.

Earlier this week, the Met Office declared March 18 as the hottest day of 2026 so far. The temperature of 20.9C was recorded at Gogerddan in Wales. In a week's time, however, a brutal freeze may hit the UK with temperatures as low as -5C and snow to hit several areas in Britain, weather maps suggest.

WXCHARTS weather maps, generated on March 20 using Met Desk data, have turned purple and white suggest snow may fall in several areas on Friday, March 27. A forecast for that day at 6am suggests Perth and Kinross and the Scottish Highlands may see snow depths reach a whopping 4.7 inches.

These hardest hit areas will see lows of -5C, and the entirety of Scotland will not see the mercury go above a brutal -1C, the maps suggest.

Both Aberdeen and Argyll and Bute will shiver under -3C, Aberdeenshire will see snow depths reach 2 inches, according to the maps. Meanwhile Glasgow and Strathclyde could see slightly less snow with 0.5 inches forecast.

Elsewhere, England will also see heavy snow fall, according to the maps. The North West and the North East will be hardest hit with up to 2 inches of snow forecast and the mercury set to plunge to lows of -1C, according to the forecast.

The snow will cover vast swathes of the country, with Somerset forecast to see snow depths of nearly an inch, the maps show. Meanwhile, Birmingham, Manchester and Stoke could get around 0.5 inches to an inch of snow.

While London is not expected to see any snowfall, temperatures are forecast to plunge to a chilly 1C. Yorkshire and the Humber, along with the South East, are set to experience similar conditions, the maps suggest.

North Wales will see snow depths hit an inch whilst Swansea will see around 0.8 inches. Meanwhile, Cardiff and Mid Wales will see around an inch of snow, according to the forecast.

Separately, the Met Office long-range forecast, looking at dates between March 25 and April 3, mentions the possibility of snow in the northern areas of Britain. It reads: "Changeable conditions for many parts of the UK at the start of this period, as areas of low pressure and their associated frontal zones run close to or over the UK.

"These are likely to be most active in the north and somewhat weaker further south, closer to a ridge of high pressure extending towards the UK from the west. There is also potential for a cooler period early in this period, with some snow possible in parts of the north. Into April, high pressure may become rather more dominant once again with plenty of dry weather, but with some overnight fog and frost."

The Met Office previously explained forecasting snow in the UK is more complex than in continental Europe due to rapidly-changing conditions. Its website read: "Small variations in temperature or wind direction can mean the difference between rain, sleet or snow. Meteorologists use high-resolution models to predict precipitation type, but these models can struggle with marginal situations where temperatures hover around freezing.

"Forecasters also consider factors such as precipitation intensity. Heavy bursts of precipitation can cool the air near the surface, increasing the chance of snow. Conversely, lighter precipitation may melt before reaching the ground. This fine balance makes snow forecasting one of the most uncertain aspects of UK weather prediction."