14 October 2023 , 05:51
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Britain is bracing for a brutal weekend as autumn is leapfrogged and the country is struck by biting 60mph Arctic winds and snow.
Today, the cold snap could see temperatures plummet by 10C from what we saw this time last week when the UK basked in "unseasonably warm air" and highs of 25C - but in a balmy twist, things may suddenly pick up next week.
Meanwhile, excessive gusts in Scotland will see the mercury struggle there in the single digits, according to Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill, while southern UK could reach 14C - still below the average for October. Overnight temperatures yesterday were forecast to dip as low as -4C in some isolated rural spots and sleety showers and maybe even snow are both on the cards in the coming hours.
It comes after heavy rain in the west of England and south east saw a yellow weather warning put in place until 8pm last night with 10 to 30mm of additional downpours in parts. There were reports of flooding causing the M32 motorway in Bristol to close for several hours.
Britain is set to see the first snow of winter this weekend (PA)Speaking to the Mirror yesterday, Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said: "There will be widespread frost on Saturday night and into Sunday across the UK. We could see the first signs of winter on higher ground on Saturday afternoon across Scotland. There will be sleety showers, which could become snow on mountains."
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
But in another bizarre turnaround, next week might see temperatures suddenly pick up thanks to a change in pressure and wind direction. BBC meteorologist Ben Rich said: "There’s quite a lot of uncertainty in the forecast later next week and it’s all down to the jet stream, which actually splits in two.
Torrential rain yesterday left flooding (Met Office)"One piece of the jet stream going up to the north, one diving down to the south and whenever we see the jet streams splitting like this and meandering around does tend to lead to some uncertainty in our forecast.
"Now it looks most likely like we’ll pick up something of a southerly flow and that would bring something warmer but colder air is lurking quite close by to the east, it wouldn’t take much of a shift in weather patterns to bring something a little bit cooler but it looks like temperatures will climb a little bit towards the end of next week but nothing certainly as warm as we’ve seen at times over recent days." He pointed to charts which showed London could see bright sunshine and 17C on both Wednesday and Friday.
Next week could see temperatures suddenly climb again (PA)The Met Office long-range weather forecast, from Tuesday (October 17) to Thursday (October 26), meanwhile, states: "On Tuesday, a cool start with a risk of mist and fog patches. There will possibly be a few showers in the far north and along some coasts, perhaps with some strong winds, otherwise likely dry with sunny spells.
"Following this, temperatures will probably return closer to average, perhaps warm in places, and there will likely be a fine and dry interlude where high pressure dominates. There is an increasing chance of cloud and rain or showers spreading from the south or southwest, progressing eastwards at times. There may also be some stronger winds in places as the high pressure migrates eastwards. Temperatures will probably remain close to average with lower risk of frost and fog."