Arctic blast set to hit UK with temperatures as low as -12°C
Temperatures could plunge to -12°C in parts of the UK with the country set to be gripped by an Arctic blast on Monday.
Hilly parts of Scotland are expected to be worst hit by the cold snap, which follows a weekend when the south west of England and Wales saw the mercury soar past 16°C.
The Met Office has warned windier spells are possible with a risk of some snow, especially across northern hills in Scotland.
“It could be -12°C on Monday night in the higher ground of Scotland where we’ve got snow cover. It’s not unusual, given it’s winter now,” said Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna.
“Things are turning colder from the north, certainly across the higher ground of Scotland we will see some wintry showers developing, staying milder further south, although the colder air will move southwards during Monday.”
The meteorologist added that Wales could see temperatures as low as -5°C, with -4°C expected in hillier parts of England on Monday night.
This weekend’s mild weather saw temperatures as high as 16.4°C in Cardiff because winds brought milder air from the south and south west, the Met Office said.
Mr Petagna said: “That’s about five degrees above average – it should be about 10-12°C that time of year.
“On Monday, the winds go around to the north, so we’ll get air from a colder northerly direction.”
He added: “It’s just a brief colder spell.
“Later Tuesday, the wind starts to come back from the Atlantic again so it starts to turn less cold.”
Mr Petagna said there is a chance temperatures could drop again next weekend as northerly winds are expected to develop.
The Met Office had predicted unseasonably warm weather over the weekend after recent days saw Storm Conall bring heavy rain and flooding.
More than 100 flood warnings were in place in England and Wales last Wednesday as Conall battered Britain with heavy rain.
The third named storm of 2024 brought heavy rain to southern Britain days after Storm Bert brought widespread destruction and left at least five people dead
