Met Office forecasts snow for Greater Manchester early next week

The Met Office says a band of snow will move across the United Kingdom on Monday and Tuesday, reaching Greater Manchester at about 9 p.m. on Monday and continuing through the night. The forecast also calls for sleet and snow in the boroughs of Wigan, Bolton, Oldham, Tameside, Rochdale and Bury.

Temperatures are expected to fall to around minus 6 °C overnight in parts of the country, prompting cold-weather alerts in the North West and West Midlands. Rain is forecast for western Scotland on Saturday, with more widespread rain and possible heavy showers on Sunday, potentially delivering up to 30 mm of rain in western areas.

"The UK is heading towards what will feel like the first cold spell in late autumn, with temperatures likely to drop down towards minus 6C overnight for some in the coming days and a fairly harsh frost likely for some," Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said.

"As we get to Sunday, it’s turning more widely unsettled with rain spreading across much of the country and some potentially fairly heavy showers at times through the day," Dixon added.

The UK Health Security Agency warned that colder weather can increase demand for health services and pose a higher risk to vulnerable people. Dr Anya Gopfert, a public-health consultant with the agency, said the alert highlights the need to check on older adults and those with pre-existing conditions, and recommended heating homes and dressing warmly to stay safe.