Winter's 'last gasp' brings snow

Winter's 'last gasp' brings snow

Snow fell on Downing Street

The "last throes of winter" swept through parts of England with a series of snow showers on Thursday.

Early commuters had to walk through snow flurries, which petered out by 0800 BST as temperatures began to rise.

The cold snap hit London, the East Anglia region and parts of the South East, despite more severe overnight temperatures in the North West.

Although Londoners have had several days of warm weather in the past few weeks, heavy snow and hail is not unheard of during the Easter Holidays.

Neil Talboys, of PA WeatherCentre, said the showers would hopefully represent "the last throes of winter" before the weather started to improve.

Sleet and snow

He said: "We were looking for some sleet this morning, but did not go as far as to say it would snow.

"But what we have seen is some snowy rain moving in from the east, preceded by sleet and snow.

"It only lasted for a short time and anyone getting up after 0800 BST would have been none the wiser."

Overnight temperatures were much more severe in north-west England, where temperatures in Crosby on Merseyside fell to minus 5.6C.

The wet weather arrived just in time for the cricket season

The coldest place overnight was Hawarden in Flintshire, north Wales, where it was minus 7.5C.

The wintry weather coincided with the start of the English first-class cricket season.

Staff at Fenner's, Cambridge University's ground, were sweeping water off the covers on Thursday in preparation for Saturday's opening fixtures.

Head groundsman John Moden said staff had not been forced into their usual Wellington boots during March, because it had been so dry.

"Now, with the season a couple of days away, the bad weather arrives," he said.

"Yesterday, we had snow here. Today, we've had sleet and rain and I gather there's a chance of snow again.

"The forecast for Saturday is fine to start with but rain later. Typical."

Rising temperatures in the South East mean the rest of the day is likely to see some April showers.

Temperatures could reach 19C next Monday and Tuesday.