Met Office weather maps show how cold it will get as Arctic blast hits

Cathy Owen
·3-min read
Met Office says UK faces 'depressing' weather shift starting from today
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Colder weather is on the way as Arctic winds spread across the UK. The Met Office has indicated we're in for a chill with clearer skies after days of gloom. Unseasonably warm temperatures will become more typical for November by the end of the weekend.

There will also be some frosty nights ahead, especially in north Wales, northern regions, and Scotland on Tuesday night. As the weekend approaches, things are set to get even nippier with northerly winds expected to bring an extra chill factor from Saturday.

Snow can be expected to grace the Scottish Highlands from early next week, but don't hold your breath for southern snowfall; it's a "very, very low probability" Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin said.

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She explained: "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.

"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."

According to the experts, the persistent cloud cover has resulted in minimal temperature fluctuations between day and night over the past fortnight. The stagnant high-pressure system has prevented any significant weather changes, leading to a prolonged period of dull and chilly conditions, rather than outright cold temperatures.

This phenomenon, referred to as "anticyclonic gloom" by forecasters, has severely limited sunshine, with the UK averaging only three hours of sunlight during the entire seven-day period up to last Thursday.

The Met Office outlook for Wales for Thursday to Saturday says: "Increasingly cloudy through Thursday and Friday with a mixture of sunny spells and patchy rain. Colder and breezier on Saturday as a band of showers spreads southwards introducing northerly winds."

Weather maps also show the different in temperatures from Saturday to Sunday and Monday:

Saturday
Saturday

And then a difference on Sunday:

Sunday
Sunday

And for Monday:

BBC Wales forecaster Derek Brockway says: "More dry and settled weather this week thanks to high pressure! More sunshine and colder nights with ground frost. A few morning mist or fog patches. Cloudy at times with only a few spots of light rain or drizzle. Turning more unsettled over the weekend and colder next week."

The Met Office long-range UK forecast for Saturday, November 16, to Monday, November 25, says: "Turning more unsettled and significantly colder as we head into the weekend with low pressure probably becoming established to the east of the UK bringing rain or showers to most regions. The heaviest and most frequent spells of rain are most likely in the north where they are likely to turn wintry, especially to the hills of Scotland, but perhaps also to lower levels as colder air digs south."

It adds: "The chance of any widespread or disruptive snowfall affecting more populated areas at this stage however remains low. Parts of the south may well see a fair amount of fine and dry weather. Often windy, with a chance of gales at times, especially in the north and east. Temperatures falling below average and feeling particularly cold in the strong winds."

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