The Met Office has told Brits to expect a ‘downward trend’ in temperatures throughout November
(Image: Getty Images)
After a mild start to November, the Met Office has said temperatures across the UK are set to plunge in the coming days – and snow could be on the way.
A flow of warm air from the south swept across the UK at the beginning of the month, with cloudy skies helping to trap warmth. The weather agency says this led to a ‘remarkably’ mild month – and even the mildest Bonfire Night on record, dropping only to 14.4C in Teddington, London.
But before temperatures begin to drop, the Met Office has warned of wet conditions for large parts of the country. Heavy rain is expected from Tuesday morning (November 11), with yellow warnings issued for areas in Wales, southeast England, and parts of southwest Scotland.
However, as the wet and windy weather subsides, parts of the UK could face ‘freezing’ temperatures and even a chance of snow.
A Met Office spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News that by Wednesday night (November 12), much of Scotland will be in cooler air moving in from the north, which will bring below freezing overnight temperatures and the risk of some snow over higher ground.
Several rain warnings are in place across western areas of the UK on Tuesday, November 11(Image: Met Office)
However, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are forecast to continue to see rain, rather than snowfall.
Met Office Chief Forecaster, Neil Armstrong, said: “The UK is in for an unsettled week of weather, with frequent spells of heavy rain and at times strong, gusty winds. Given recent wet weather and saturated ground in places, this could lead to some flooding. Difficult travelling conditions are also expected, with delays and the increased possibility of accidents.
“There will be spells of drier and brighter weather at times, and temperatures will begin to fall closer to average for the time of year from the north. We will see a return of below freezing temperatures in Scotland overnight, with even the chance of some snow over mountains on Wednesday night.”
The Met Office says any snow this week is likely to be confined to higher ground in Scotland, which it says is normal for this time of year.
Beyond this week, the weather agency says there will be a ‘general downward trend in temperature’, with many areas expected to record below-average temperatures towards the end of the month.
Parts of Scotland could see ‘wintry showers’ this week(Image: The Met Office)
The Met Office long-range forecast, which runs from Friday (November 14) to November 23, states: “The start of this period is likely to be unsettled and mild for most, with slow-moving bands of rain which could be quite heavy and prolonged in some areas. With time, the more unsettled conditions should gradually clear to the south, allowing a colder and more showery northerly flow of sorts to become established.
“In this setup, showers may be wintry over high ground, and perhaps occasionally to low levels in the far north, with also a greater risk of overnight frost.
“However, the timing of this transition is rather uncertain, and it could remain milder and wetter into the beginning of the following week, especially in the south.
“A general downward trend in temperature is most likely through this period, to below average in many areas beyond mid-November.”
