UK WEATHER WARNING: Temperatures PLUNGE as bitter Arctic winds and SNOW to batter UK
BRITONS should keep winter coats at the ready this weekend with further freezing temperatures and frosts on the way.
Cold weather to sweep across UK after frosty start to day
Snow could fall to low levels in Scotland and the north as bitter Arctic winds sweep the region, experts warn.
A nationwide split will bring milder conditions to the south on Saturday although most places will nudge freezing tomorrow night.
Thermometers will dip to -6C (21.2F) or below in rural northern areas with lows of between 0C and -4C (24.8F) forecast more widely.
Bitter gales threaten to batter the northern fringes of Scotland with thunder and snow forecast over high ground.
We expect a widespread frost on Saturday night into Sunday
The Met Office said wintry showers could fall to lower levels and possibly further south over the next few days.
Spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: “We expect a widespread frost on Saturday night into Sunday with snow over high ground in Scotland and the risk of gales and thunder, gusts could reach 50 knots [57mph].
“Scotland and the north will remain under a polar air mass this weekend while the south will be slightly milder due to a southerly air flow.
“Most places will see rain on Sunday night although this should have cleared by the start of the week.
“Next week will stay fairly changeable and depending on the balance between cold air in the north and milder air in the south we could see further wintry showers, some of these could move further south and fall to lower ground.”
Much of Britain woke to a cold and frosty this morning after the mercury dipped widely below freezing.
Temperatures will hover around average for the time of year on Saturday before dropping over the 24 hours.
Southern Britain could see highs of around 11C (51.8F) or 12C (53.6F) while the north will struggle to lift out of single figures.
WeatherOnline forecaster Garry Nicholson said the outlook for the next week is more typical “gloomy” autumn weather.
He said: “Cold air across northern Britain battles against milder air trying to encroach from the south [next week].
“For many places, classically gloomy November weather is likely, with some rain or drizzle.
“Northern areas have a risk of snow over the hills, but some snow may fall to quite low levels at times.”