THE Met Office has warned snow could cause disruption this week – with Reading and Wokingham in the potential area for wintry weather.
The white stuff is very hard to predict, but it has issued a general warning for late Tuesday evening into Wednesday while showing a forecast that has Reading and Wokingham in its area, but only just.
The snow risk covers the south of the country from the M4 corridor downwards.
The right atmospheric conditions see cold air coming down the country from Scotland and hitting a low-pressure area coming in from the west.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Chris Bulmer said: “There are a couple of weather systems for Tuesday and Wednesday which we are keeping an eye on that bring the potential for disruptive snow for some regions.
“With cold air firmly in place, any weather systems that move across the country next week will bringing mainly snowfall inland.
“Models are currently showing us a variety of options for both systems and we’ll be able to add more details to in the coming days.”
At the time of writing, the Met Office forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday is cold and cloudy, with temperatures reaching a high of 3°C. It will not be able to offer a more accurate forecast until closer to the time
However, some weather charts suggest snow could fall across Wednesday. If it does, at the moment, Wokingham and Reading are at the edges of whatever does fall.
The cold weather has already started and is one thing that can be predicted with certainty.
The UK Health Security Agency has a Cold-Health Alert in force, which highlights that possibility of significant impact for the health and social care sector.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “The temperatures we will see leading into the weekend can rapidly have a serious impact on the health of those over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions as it increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.
“It is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the cold weather.”