Arctic cold blast to bring freezing temperatures to UK this week

Temperatures are forecast to plunge as a result, falling as low as -4C in parts of Scotland and -3C south of England

Temperatures across the UK are expected to plummet below freezing as a cold blast of Arctic air sweeps in this week. The weather system is forecast to move southwards towards the UK on Tuesday, reaching Scotland and the north of England by Wednesday.

As a result, temperatures are predicted to fall to as low as -4°C in rural parts of Scotland and -3°C in the countryside of southern England on Friday morning, according to the Met Office. Wednesday morning may see temperatures drop to -3°C in rural Scotland, with overnight lows on Thursday possibly hitting -2°C in both Scotland and the south-west of England before plunging further on Friday morning.

Met Office spokesperson Andrea Bishop stated, "Things also look to turn colder as Arctic air moves in. Temperatures dip in the north from Wednesday, and by Thursday, all areas are expected to experience below-average temperatures, with many daytime highs likely in single figures. Night frosts are expected for some regions, and snow is possible for the higher mountains of Scotland."

This cold snap will be preceded by additional rain, as the wet weather continues to affect the country, prompting the issuance of a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of England on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, concerns regarding Hurricane Kirk, which has since weakened into an extratropical storm, had emerged over the possibility of it affecting the UK this week with heavy rain and strong winds along the south coast. However, the Met Office announced on Monday that the tail end of Kirk would not make landfall in Britain.

"We have been keeping a close eye on the track of ex-Hurricane Kirk as it travels across the Atlantic. There is increasing confidence now that it will track to the south of the UK. The threat of significant impacts to the UK from this system are now much reduced," the Met Office confirmed.

The system is expected to pass near northern Portugal and northern Spain on Wednesday before impacting western and central areas of France significantly.