February breezes in with big freeze

Jan 29 2008 By Edward Chadwick

SNOW and high winds could be on their way to Birmingham as winter returns with a vengeance, forecasters warned today.

The city should brace itself for gusts of wind of up to 70mph tomorrow and Thursday before an icy blast arrives on Friday, February 1, they said.

Weathermen say the Midlands could be blanketed under an inch of snow before the weekend as temperatures plummet to minus 4C.

But the unusually mild conditions of late are set to return next week, with more rain forecast from Sunday and Monday.

Met Office spokesman Andrew Sibley said: "The wind will be a constant factor in the weather over the next few days. "The whole country will see some strong winds which could reach 70mph at times and that will turn to come from a northerly direction on Friday, bringing cold weather with it. "That could mean a few centimetres of snow or sleet at the start of the weekend. The direction of the wind means that could affect the whole country. "After that, the weather will return to what we have experienced lately with south and south westerly winds bringing warmer air, but also rain. "It has been unusually mild for January so far."