Parts of Britain hit with snow flurries as temperature plummets ahead of pubs reopening outdoors

Ellen Manning
·2 min read

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Parts of Britain had a snowy start on Sunday as the country was hit by low temperatures just a day before pubs and restaurants are due to open outdoors in England.

People in Scotland were left baffled when sun, snow and hail fell all at once at one point, while a yellow weather warning for snow in the North East of England and North Yorkshire was in place until mid-morning and the Met Office said up to 5cm of snow was possible on high ground.

The cold snap comes ahead of the reopening of hospitality and outdoors, with pubs and restaurants preparing outdoor areas ready for customers on Monday.

A man walks a dog in a light dusting of overnight snow at Seaton Sluice on the North East coast. Picture date: Sunday April 11, 2021.
It was a snowy start for parts of the country on Sunday as a cold snap hit. (PA)
A light dusting of snow covers the outdoor seating area at the Queens Head in Cullercoats, on the North East coast, as the pub prepares to reopen its outdoor area from April 12, with customers welcome inside again from May 17. Picture date: Sunday April 11, 2021. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)
The dusting of snow came just a day before pubs and hospitality businesses are allowed to open outdoors. (PA)

Runners and dog walkers braved light snowfall in Whitley Bay on the North East coast and in Lancashire police urged people to avoid the A56 after it was partially closed 'due to heavy snow and numerous stranded vehicles'.

The cold snap wasn't just in the north, with temperatures ranging from a high of 5C in the South West to freezing in Scotland.

The Met Office tweeted: “A cold and frosty start for many with sunshine and a few wintry showers.”

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In Scotland, social media users shared pictures and video of the strange situation which saw sun, snow and hail fall at the same time.

Geoff Barton, 60, professor of bioinformatics and head of computational biology at the University of Dundee, tweeted: "Ok so we’ve had fabulous sunshine, then snow, then sunshine again. And now? Both together!

The cold snap didn't put off dog walkers in some part of the country. (PA)
The cold snap didn't put off dog walkers in some part of the country. (PA)

He added: “Until about 12:20 this morning the weather was bright sunshine with blue skies.

“Then we had a snow flurry and then more sunshine until we had this mix of snow and sun at around 15:10.”

Despite a cold Sunday, the low temperatures aren't set to last, with no weather warnings in place for Monday as non-essential retail joins outdoor hospitality in reopening for the first time in months.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said that whilst the reopening was exciting for publicans and pubgoers, it was important to remember that just 40% of pubs in England – will be opening for outdoor service.

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