Storm Pedro bringing more rain and snow to UK – but warmer weather is on its way
The snow set for the UK is forecast for the hills, while there are currently yellow warnings for rain in southern England.
Wednesday 18 February 2026 11:12, UK
The naming comes from Meteo France, the equivalent to the Met Office in France, where the storm is expected to have a bigger impact.
Despite the ongoing cold and wet conditions, forecasters are predicting temperatures in the “low-to-mid teens” Celsius for the UK by the end of the week.
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Sky News meteorologist Dr Chris England said: “The jet stream has been to the south of the UK recently, allowing high pressure over Scandinavia to feed cold air from northern Europe across Britain and, to a lesser extent, Ireland and Northern Ireland.
“But it will move north over the next few days, with a much milder Atlantic flow developing.
“The rain and snow will mostly clear tomorrow, with milder air following. Expect more rain on Friday.”
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Check the forecast for your area
The snow set for the UK on Wednesday and Thursday is mostly forecast for the hills, while the impact of Pedro on this side of the Channel is expected to be relatively light.
However, the Met Office warned there is still a small chance of disruption caused by flooding, snow and strong winds.
The conditions could see flights and train services cancelled and leave vehicles stranded on roads, the agency added.
There are currently yellow warnings for rain in southern England, with hill snow forecast for Wales and the West Midlands.
Many in the south of England faced a wet start on Wednesday, with a yellow warning for heavy rain in force for an area stretching from Cornwall to Kent until 8am on Thursday.
Some 10-20mm of rain is expected to fall widely, although areas near the south coast could see up to 30mm of rain, while Dartmoor, Devon, could have as much as 50mm, the Met Office said.
A separate yellow warning for snow in the West Midlands and Wales will run from 4pm on Wednesday until 6am on Thursday.
In Northern Ireland, outbreaks of rain, hill snow and winds of up to 50-55mph are expected to bring disruption – with a yellow warning in force until 8pm on Wednesday.
Senior Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: “By the time we get into the late part of the day on Thursday, by that stage, the winds should be clearing away.
“It’s all change after that, by the weekend it will be feeling much, much milder with temperatures reaching the low-to-mid teens, if we see some sunshine.
“There will be further spells of wind and rain but most of us will certainly see an uplift of temperatures as we go into the weekend.”
On Tuesday, a cold health alert was issued for much of England.
The alert, from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), runs until 6pm on Friday and covers the South West, the Midlands, the North East, the North West and Yorkshire and The Humber.
The agency – which generally only issues warnings for England – said the cold weather was likely to pose “a greater risk to life of vulnerable people” and prompt an increased use of healthcare services.
It also comes as a new UKHSA report said more than 2,500 deaths were linked to cold weather last winter.
Most of the deaths were linked to a six-day cold snap in January 2025 – with cold-associated deaths being seen in all regions except the North East, the report added.
Meanwhile, Spain and Portugal are expected to be affected by Storm Pedro in the next few days.
The Spanish weather agency, AEMET, is currently predicting snowstorms and winds of around 75mph in some parts of the country.
It comes as parts of Germany and western France are currently facing significant flooding due to the ongoing rainfall.
Some homes and villages have been flooded, while transport networks have also been disrupted by the conditions.
