UK weather: Met Office warns of Greenland freeze bringing 'colder than average' temperatures to Britain

Expert say conditions are expected to be "settled" and "drier than normal conditions" which could lead to the cold blast.

As Britain heads into March, weather maps show "wet and mild" conditions as bands of rain or showers hit with the heaviest rainfall affecting the northwest.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: "Towards mid-March there is an increased chance of a greater likelihood of higher pressure as a ‘blocked’ pattern becoming established over Greenland and Iceland, with lower pressure towards the south and southwest.

"This is likely to bring a trend towards increasingly settled conditions, with the likelihood of drier than normal conditions, especially in the north.

"This may lead to a slightly greater than normal chance of colder than average temperatures, although this is mitigated as we move further into spring.

"Perhaps slightly wetter in the south with lower pressure over the near Continent, with an east or northeasterly flow across the UK.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• ‘On fire’ ocean temperatures to spark unusually warm spring and summer heatwaves
• El Nino gives way to new phenomenon as reverse water cooling drives heat surge
• ‘Significant’ drop in number of Cold Weather Payment triggers

"Low impact temperature thresholds have a slight chance of being reached, although probably remaining close to climatology."

The beginning of March is set to see snowy conditions with temperatures are expected to drop to -7C.

WX Charts indicates a band of snow will move across the northern parts of the country at the start of March.

In the Met Office's cold weather alert threshold analysis, it said: "It will be remaining unsettled at end of February, with showers or longer spells of rain for many, with temperatures around average.

"Into early March some short-lived cold spells are likely, with some wintry hazards, these are most likely in the north.

"Overall temperatures are likely to be close to or slightly above average."

Weather charts show snow forming a band which stretches from Manchester to Birmingham and across Wales from Sunday.