Met Office warns of 'chillier' days ahead as temperatures plummet to -2C

Shania King-Soyza & Pol Allingham, PA
·2-min read
A jogger makes their way through fog on a frosty morning
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Britons will need to layer up as the Met Office forecasts a chilly week ahead due to clearer skies. Warmer, gloomy conditions have kept temperatures between 13C and 15C across much of the country since the start of November.

Yet, in the next few days, thermometers are predicted to slide back to a more seasonal average, with Scotland expecting around 8C and southern areas seeing highs of 11C. Frost is likely to nip north Wales, the north and north-west of England, and Scotland come Tuesday night.

In the Southwest, this evening will see dry conditions, but overnight, a few patches of cloud will "develop towards dawn." Tomorrow morning will start largely dry and bright with a few patches of cloud. In the afternoon, clouds will increase from the northeast, but there will continue to be bright spells.

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As we edge closer to the weekend, temperatures are poised to dip further still, exacerbated by brisk northerly winds churning in an extra chill from Saturday onwards. Snow might dust the Scottish Highlands come early next week; however, for areas further south, the forecast suggests only a "very, very low probability" of seeing any snowflakes fall.

On Monday, Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin cautioned: "It is getting chillier, certainly in the overnight periods, but also by day as well. It's thanks to the clearer sky. I'm sure we're all grateful for a little bit of sunshine today, and also, the northerly wind is pushing slightly cold air across the British Isles."

While discussing the possibility of wintry showers, Hutin noted, "There is a chance of seeing some snow from the weekend onwards, but nowhere that we wouldn't expect to see at this time of year. I don't think we'll be seeing snow in London; it's not entirely out of the question, (but) there's a very, very low probability, just like there always is. I think it's pretty confident to say that it's unlikely to see snow in the south of England."

She explained that the cloud cover has caused only minimal differences between day and night temperatures over the past two weeks. This high-pressure system, stubbornly in place, has kept our weather patterns fairly static, resulting in persistently grey skies and chilly days.

Rather than a biting cold, we've been shrouded in what meteorologists call "anticyclonic gloom," which led to an exceptionally dreary week with the UK clocking an average of just three hours of sunshine in the seven days leading up to last Thursday, according to reports from the Met Office.

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