UK weather forecast: Britain to bask in sunshine before plummeting temperatures bring snow

Warmer than average conditions will give way to winter chill next week

Much of Britain will enjoy sunshine and warmer than average conditions this weekend, before a dramatic drop in temperatures brings snow next week.

The Met Office is forecasting some “exceptionally mild” weather in the days ahead, but the warm southerly winds will suddenly give way to a bitterly cold wind from eastern Europe on Monday – leading to overnight frosts and snow in hilly areas.

“We’ll see much more sunshine developing both Saturday and Sunday and blue skies for many this weekend,” said Alex Deakin, meteorologist at the Met Office.

“By the time we get to Monday morning’s commute to work the weather patterns will be looking very different. It’s going to be an awful lot colder… you will notice that drop in temperatures.”

Northern parts of the country are expected to see the best of the weather this week, with highs of 18C forecast for the Scottish Highlands, 16C predicted for Northern Ireland and 15C anticipated for northwest England.

But the cold air from the east will see wintry conditions set in on Monday, with average temperatures falling between 6C and 8C.

Mr Deakin said any snow seen next week would mainly fall “over the hills”, but the Met Office is forecasting an increasing chance of snowfall in lower lying areas towards the end of November.

There is also a possibility of more rain from Tuesday, with showers possible in the east of the country.

Towards the end of the week there is a chance of further outbreaks of rain and hill snow, particularly in the south.

The autumn season has already seen some dramatic shifts in weather conditions.

While October brought some above-average temperatures, County Durham and other parts of northeast England saw snow fall during a cold snap at the end of the month.

Friday will see generally cloudy and grey weather, but sunny spells will break out in northern parts of the country and temperatures could climb to around 15C in Scotland, north Wales and northwest England this afternoon.