There is an "increasing risk" of severe weather being seen across Norfolk over the next week.

The Met Office has said there is a chance of a band of snow and sleet moving across the county over the coming days. 

Temperatures are set to plummet to -3C in parts of the region at the beginning of next week.

The Met Office said: "After the unsettled Christmas and New Year period we are now seeing an abrupt change to much colder weather with temperatures below average for January.

"While there is an increasing risk of something potentially disruptive at some point in this period, exactly where will see any impacts is still uncertain at this stage.

"Widespread frosts will continue to be a feature by night, with a risk of ice in places."

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Other forecasts by Metdesk predict Norfolk will be severely hit by heavy snow and rain as soon as next Wednesday as low-pressure moves in from the Atlantic.

However, long-range predictions are uncertain and the Met Office has advised people to "keep an eye on the forecast over the coming days". 

There is also a Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) under way, the same phenomenon that brought the Beast from the East in 2018. 

The severe weather conditions forced hundreds of schools to close and blanketed Norfolk with snow.

Eastern Daily Press: The Beast from the East brought heavy snow to Norfolk in 2018The Beast from the East brought heavy snow to Norfolk in 2018 (Image: Denise Bradley)An SSW increases the chance of cold, dry weather but its impacts are not always serious. 

The Met Office said that although this was currently a "minor event" there was still a chance of a major SSW later this winter. 

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Another factor also influencing the weather in the UK this winter is the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO).

This is a regular variation of the winds that blow high above the equator and it is currently in an easterly phase which also increases the likelihood of cold northerly or easterly winds.