Britain is being hit by a storm surge driven by a 150mph jet stream as the March washout drags on

A spate of storms driven by a 150mph jet stream will hold Britain’s umbrellas into April.

Sunbathers will be out of luck for most of this week as bitter winds, rain, snow and thunder are forecast.

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Temperatures will plummet in the run-up to mid-week as arctic gusts of -10C bring wintry downpours to parts.

It will be milder from Wednesday, but a furious jet stream will hurl gusts of rain from the Atlantic.

Jim Dale, meteorologist for the UK Weather Service, said: “It will feel anything but spring-like for much of this week and amid the rain and wind there is a risk of storms.

“I expect this to continue throughout the week and into early April, with an odd day around the middle of this week when it may be quieter.

“That aside, it will be wet and windy for the rest of the month with the possibility of storms.”

Bad weather is being caused by the jet stream plowing across Britain at 150mph – about 40mph faster than average, according to weather models.

While much of the UK is in the firing line in wet and windy weather, Scotland is set for snow.

Mr Dale said: “The jet stream flows across Britain, with Scotland on the northern edge, so it’s going to be cold here in the arctic air.

“This cold air will affect much of the country early in the week with temperatures hitting -6C in parts that could feel closer to -10C with the wind chill.

“Further south we could submerge to freezing or not much above.

“Later in the week we got into the wetter, windier and stormier weather and this will essentially remain so for the remainder of the month and into early April.”

Though the weather model is tipping “everywhere,” Easter could bring the sunshine home, he added.

“It’s very early days, though,” he warned.

“Charts are turning all over the place so it’s wait and see and it could go either way.

“One minute Easter looks like summer is about to begin, and the next it’s cold and wet.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on this room.”

Snow could settle into the early hours of Monday in parts of northern Scotland, according to the Met Office.

Meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “The showers will spread mainly to the north and along the North Sea coast, although there will be a cold start for Monday.

“We are keeping that cool air albeit with drier conditions on Tuesday.

“On Wednesday it is likely to change again as low pressure moves in from the west and the initial band of rain is likely to fall as snow in places, mainly in the northern hills, before turning back to rain as milder south-west winds return.

“It’s going to be a choppy end to next week but with temperatures recovering.”

The wet forecast has prompted Ladbrokes to cut the odds for the wettest spring on record to 5-2.

Bookies spokesman Alex Apati said: “It looks like we’re set for even more brutal weather conditions over the next few weeks and with spring around the corner we’re bracing for a potentially record-breaking rainy season.”

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