UK weather: 'Heatwave' Halloween giving way to nippy November

Temperatures will plummet next week following a possible record today

Visitors view the autumn foliage of acer trees in the Old Arboretum at Westonbirt in south west England. The Japanese maples are some of the first species to turn red and orange at this famous tree collection, originally planted out in the nineteenth cent

After the Halloween “heatwave” that could see temperatures hit a record-breaking 21C today, the winter chill is expected to set in next month.

Snow could fall on hills in the north-west as soon as next week as temperatures plummet more than 10C in a matter of days.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said the recent balmy spell will be replaced with a front of cloud and rain, with unsettled weather for much of November.

“On Tuesday, a cool and showery north or northwesterly airstream will affect the UK, with showers most frequent in the northwest where they may fall as snow over hills,” he added.

Today could set a record for the warmest Halloween ever (Reuters)

“It will be windy at times too. Temperatures will be generally a little below average, and feeling cold in comparison to the recent very mild weather.”

Conditions will be “nearer normal” for most of November, forecasters said, with rain and wind split up by sunnier, colder spells.

Temperatures will plummet by at least eight degrees in most areas of the UK over the coming days, down to between 9C and 13C by Tuesday.

Although the figures are close to average, it will feel like a sharp cold snap following a prolonged spell of unseasonably warm weather.

So far, 2014 has been the warmest year on record and the UK mean temperature for October so far is 11C - which is 1.5C above average.

Nine out of the ten months this year have seen above average mean temperatures, with only August having been below average.