UK weather forecast: Colder than Greenland as Arctic blast freezes -5C this weekend

The east coast of England is in the grip of a renewed yellow warning from the Met Office and widespread frost is expected across the UK on Saturday morning with temperatures could plummet to -5C

Brits are set for more freezing temperatures over the weekend, with lows of -5C making it colder than Greenland.

After a week of mild weather that saw mercury climb to 20C, the cold has returned with a vengeance with snow and ice across the country.

Wintry showers on Friday brought snow to the coast of Hastings, East Sussex, and are a result of southward movement of Arctic air.

Another amber warning of ice, which could cause “some injuries from slips and falls” and “possible travel disruption,” is in effect in eastern areas Saturday morning.

The warning covers the eastern half of the country, including the Scottish Borders, Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and lasts from midnight to 10am on Saturday.

The Met Office is forecasting freezing conditions on Saturday and Sunday morning before temperatures rise early next week.

A high pressure is moving in from the west bringing warmer and wet weather, but there is also a chance of snow as it mixes with cold air from the north.

Meanwhile, maps from WXCharts next Friday and Saturday show widespread snow across the country, with up to 25cm falling in Wales.

Temperatures in the UK are expected to be lower this weekend than in Greenland, where they may not drop below zero on Saturday and Sunday.

Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said: “Shoulder showers entering eastern parts of England from the North Sea so we could see some frigid conditions here and there is a yellow warning from the Met Office.

“This western weather front is also bringing a mix of rain, sleet and some hill snow to parts of Wales and south-west England later in the night.

“It’s going to be cold and chilly for many, with temperatures below freezing even in towns and cities, perhaps -5C in rural areas of northern England and similar conditions where the snow is on the ground in Scotland, so a cold and chilly start to the weekend .”

The freezing weather comes after Britain enjoyed its sunniest March since 1929.

Northern Ireland basked in 90% more sunshine than the average for the month, with a total of 192.5 hours of sunshine, and Scotland saw 64% more sun than usual, with a total of 160.1 hours.

The good outlook was repeated across the UK, with England enjoying its second sunniest March at 168.1 hours and Wales its fifth sunniest at 157.9 hours.

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said overnight temperatures on Saturday would be a few degrees colder than the average for the time of year.

Mr Stroud said the winter weather will continue throughout the weekend but along with the cold there will be sunshine.

He said: “It’s generally dry and cold, if not a little less cold than it will be for the next few days.

“We’ve detected an arctic air current coming from a cold source at the moment.

“So basically we have cold, clear air across the UK. There are also plenty of clear and sunny skies, particularly in the western parts of the UK.”

Mr Stroud said temperatures should rise to around 14C on Monday from an average of around 10C over the weekend as the Arctic air system moves away.

UK forecast for the next 5 days

Sunny intervals and showers. Less windy and cold.

Today:

Fairly cloudy with showers in the west with some wintry likely mainly in the highlands of Wales and the south west before clearing later. Otherwise a cold and frosty start, followed by sunny spells and scattered showers. Less windy than last.

This evening:

The showers soon subsided from all but the distant NE, leaving largely clear skies and a cold and frosty night. Some flat nebulae may develop until dawn.

Sunday:

Showers in the far north turned into persistent rain at noon, which spread to all of Scotland and Northern Ireland by the evening. Otherwise scattered showers and sunny intervals.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

A generally cloudy, unsettled time for most, although milder than recently. Most persistent rain for northern and western areas, with some turning to snow over high ground.