The UK's unpredictable weather is set to continue with forecasters predicting another icy blast that will send temperatures plummeting later this week.

Just days after the country saw unseasonably warm weather, an 800-mile wide 'Greenland barrage' is heading towards the UK, according to the Met Office.

Temperatures will start to fall from Wednesday but the worst of the cold snap won't arrive until Friday and into the weekend when snow showers could be on the cards.

Although daytime temperatures are expected to remain above freezing, strong winds will make it feel colder.

Read more: Met Office: The likelihood of snow in North East later this month

But nighttime temperatures will be much colder with lows of minus 7 celsius predicted for some parts of England.

Brian Gaze, a forecaster at The Weather Outlook, warned: “Computer models show very cold air being pulled in from Wednesday, moving down from the north-west. It means the risk of snow returns, particularly for the North."

But not everyone is convinced.

The BBC forecast for the North East predicts colder temperatures by the end of the week.

From a high of 13C today, the mercury will have fallen to just three degrees above freezing by the weekend.

The netweather website says there will be a 38% risk of snow in the North East from Friday.

And the Met Office predicts: "[This weekend] settled conditions are likely to continue, however some light rain and showers are still possible at times, with nocturnal fog or mist developing in places.

"Showery rain moves eastwards Wednesday, turning wintry over hills. Showers becoming isolated Thursday. A further band of rain, wintry over hills, edging south overnight. Wintry showers on Friday. Frosts overnight."

Colder than average conditions are predicted for March, although confidence remains low.