Snow forecast maps suggest a major winter blast could slam the UK in February. Snow depths of up to 99cm are shown on weather charts, and 73 cities across the country are buried as wintry conditions push as far south as London.

Latest ECMWF modelling published by WXCHARTS shows snow piling up fast across Scotland, while huge swathes of Britain are covered by lying snow as freezing air digs in from the north and east. The maps show snow spreading across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with temperatures low enough for it to settle in many built-up areas. Overnight lows near or below freezing mean rain could quickly turn to snow, even at lower levels. The worst of the blizzard is shown across central and northern Scotland, where higher ground is buried under deep snow. But the cold doesn’t stop there, with snow pushing south through northern England, across the Midlands and into southern counties.

The South East is also caught up in the blast, with parts of London shown under snow as the cold air holds firm, while Wales could see several centimetres settling in towns and cities.

Northern Ireland is also in line for snowfall, with lighter but still disruptive totals shown across a number of urban areas.

Forecasters say the cold could linger for several days, increasing the chance of snow building up where it falls.

The maps suggest much of the UK could end up under lying snow at the height of the cold snap.

The Met Office says Atlantic weather systems will continue to push in from the west through early February, but may struggle to clear the UK as colder air sits to the north and northeast. This could bring spells of rain and strong winds at times, particularly in the south and west, while colder conditions elsewhere increase the chance of wintry showers. There is also a risk of snow developing where wetter weather runs into colder air, with some flakes possibly reaching lower levels.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “Cold air is likely to be positioned to the northeast, bringing wintry showers at times. Where fronts from the southwest do reach the cold air towards the northeast, there is the risk of some snow, most likely across hills, but perhaps extending to lower areas at times.”

Full list of 73 cities and towns affectedEngland

London
Birmingham
Manchester
Liverpool
Leeds
Sheffield
Nottingham
Derby
Leicester
Coventry
Wolverhampton
Stoke-on-Trent
Stafford
Chester
Crewe
York
Hull
Middlesbrough
Darlington
Newcastle
Sunderland
Durham
Carlisle
Lancaster
Preston
Blackpool
Bolton
Wigan
Salford
Stockport
Oldham
Rochdale
Burnley
Bradford
Huddersfield
Wakefield
Halifax
Barnsley
Rotherham
Doncaster
Scunthorpe

Wales 

Cardiff
Swansea
Newport
Merthyr Tydfil
Pontypridd
Aberdare
Bridgend
Neath
Llanelli
Caerphilly

Scotland

Glasgow
Edinburgh
Dundee
Aberdeen
Inverness
Perth
Stirling
Fort William
Aviemore
Oban
Elgin
Forfar
Dumfries
Paisley
Livingston

Northern Ireland

Belfast
Derry / Londonderry
Lisburn
Newtownabbey
Bangor
Craigavon
Antrim