Met Office says change is coming after coldest night in 15 years

Expect rain at the start of the week before the change kicks in
-Credit:Getty


The Met Office says the weather is set to change in the days ahead after the coldest nights in 15 years. Temperatures dropped again overnight on Saturday and hit around -15C in the north of the UK, the Met Office said.

The cold night came after temperatures plummeted to -18.9C on Saturday morning in Altnaharra, which is in the most northern region of the Highlands and was the UK’s coldest January night in 15 years. The average low in northern Scotland for this time of year is about 0.3C, while for England, overnight lows are about 1.5C to 1.6C.

READ MORE: UK holidaymakers face new £12 a night charge in tourist tax

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: DWP warns some pensioners will see payments stop from April 5

Temperatures ranged between the far north and south of the UK during the day on Saturday, with maximums of 11.3C recorded on the Isles of Scilly and minus 9.3 in Altnaharra.

Heavy rain is now forecast in Lancashire for the days ahead, with sun and drier conditions from the middle of the week hitting around 8C by the time we reach next weekend.

Zoe Hutin, Met Office meteorologist, said temperatures have been about 10C lower than the average for this time of year. She said: “This is probably the last very, very cold night expected, we’ve got a trend towards something a little bit milder.”

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its cold weather health alert for all of England until Tuesday. Amber alerts have been extended and will now run until January 14, meaning a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, is likely, the agency said.

Sunday day will see an east/west divide with a maximum of 3C or 4C in the east, while the west could see between 7C and 8C or potentially 9C.