The UK is bracing for a renewed period of wintry weather as snow is set to sweep the country this week. After a week of sunshine, soaring temperatures saw London hotter than the Costa del Sol during the warmest weekend of the year. However, this is all due to come to and end, as snow is once again expected to fall over England and Wales.

New maps by WXCHARTS, which uses Met Desk data, have marked the return to the bleak conditions on April 18, just four days away. Wales is due to bear the brunt of the snow, with a large portion of the country impacted from Wrexham in the north to the Brecon Beacons in the south.

These areas are due to see dustings at a rate of 0.2cm/hr to 1cm/hr, with the worst-affect places lying near the west coast and the border with England.

England will also see small, localised patches of snow to the north of Manchester, such as Burnley and the Yorkshire Dales, where rates will be similar to those in Wales.

Throughout the day on Friday, the snow is expected to move from Wales into England, affecting Lancashire, Manchester, and other areas in the North West.

Elsewhere in the UK, rain is expected to hammer large portions of the country from Newcastle to Snowdonia to Southampton - all of which will be drenched by downpours of up to 2mm/hr.

Separately, the Met Office long range forecast for April 18 to 27 reads: "Mixed conditions across the UK at the start of this period and the first weekend.

"Showers or longer spells of rain are likely across many regions, these heavy at times with a risk of hail and thunder, perhaps accompanied by strong winds. Some drier and brighter interludes are also likely at times, but probably with large amounts of cloud.

"Temperatures will likely be near normal overall. Into the following week, a similar pattern is likely at first with unsettled conditions at times with a risk of some heavy rain or showers.

"Later in the week settled weather is expected to become more prevalent, with more in the way of dry, sunny weather developing. Temperatures will probably be around normal or slightly above."