EXPERTS at the Essex Weather Centre have tonight raised the prospect of snow by Easter Sunday. 

In a Tweet this evening, the forecasters say there are "two seasons" on their way next week. 

There will be highs of 20C on Tuesday and perhaps some snow by Easter Sunday. 

Bosses at the Met Office have underlined the "big variations" in temperatures.

The spokesman said the current milder weather many of us have had recently is going to give way to a short, sharp, cold snap lasting through Friday and into Saturday.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Frank Saunders said: “Bands of showery rain will continue to cross the UK today (Thursday) before cold air from the north pushes across the country on Friday.

“A cold front will bring a band of rain and blustery conditions for many and there will be a marked drop in temperatures, with some places seeing a fall of 5 or 6 C between today and Friday. There will be some wintry showers in places with some lying snow possible at times over hills further north.”

The Met Office says Saturday will start cold with a risk of frost in places before we start to see a return to a southwesterly air flow bringing milder, wetter conditions, especially in the west, for the rest of the weekend and the start of next week.

The spokesman added: "This pattern looks likely to continue into the middle of next week when, once again, we expect to see a change in the weather.

"Although there are still some uncertainties in the outlook there are signs a high pressure system could develop by the end of next week allowing cold air from the north to return across the UK bringing another dip in temperatures for Easter weekend and a risk of wintry showers in places at times.

Echo: Could the seafront see a blanket of snow at Easter?Could the seafront see a blanket of snow at Easter?

Easter Records

The Met Office says the Tcoldest Easter weekend on record is 2013 when -12.5C was recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire, Scotland (Easter Sunday).

The deepest snow recorded on an Easter weekend was in 2010 when 36cm was measured at Strathdearn, Invernessshire, also in Scotland (Good Friday).

the wettest was in 1991 when 108.7mm of rainfall was recorded at Seatoller, in Cumbria (Easter Monday).