UK weather forecast: Warm weekend and sunshine expected before temperatures plummet

Snow showers possible in Scotland

The UK is set for a warm weekend of sunshine before gales and heavy rain descend next week, the Met Office has said, with snow likely to fall in the far north of Scotland.

People living in southern regions of the UK can look forward to a particularly sunny Saturday, with "fairly warm" temperatures and largely dry conditions.

"Temperatures in the southeast are expected to be between 16C and 18C, which is above average for October," a Met Office spokesperson said.

But the weather will differ sharply in northern regions, as a cold front sinks down through the area.

Cloud and rain are also forecast in the northwest.

The last days of October are expected to be "largely dry across most areas", with the possibility of some cloud and the "best of the sunshine" limited to the southwest.

Unsettled weather will continue throughout the beginning of the next week, as "wet and windy" conditions arrive in northern regions, with possible gales and "particularly persistent" and heavy rain forecast across parts of Scotland.

"It will be noticeably colder across the whole of the UK on Monday," the Met Office said.

Cooler weather will spread across the south and west of the UK by mid-November, with temperatures across the UK "likely to be below normal".

There is also the "possibility of snow showers" next week across the far north of Scotland, especially on higher ground in the Cairngorms, which the Met Office said was normal for this time of year.

The cold snap follows unseasonably warm temperatures across the UK, with temperatures reaching 23C on Wednesday.