Temperatures are set to plunge across Somerset next week as an area of high pressure settles in over the country.
While it will mean that the impactful rain and showers of the new year will ease as the weekend becomes fine and dry, it also means we're in for a period of fog, frost and icy conditions, says the Met Office.
Jason Kelly, a Met Office chief forecaster, said: “The transition to lower temperatures will be noticeable over the weekend.
"It will become rather cold next week with lower-than-average temperatures across much of the UK, accentuated by brisk easterly winds in the south.
“As the prevailing weather conditions will be characterised by high pressure, a good deal of settled weather is likely.
"Clearer skies and a marked reduction in precipitation are expected, although any showers that do occur are likely to be wintry in nature.
"A combination of overnight freezing temperatures, saturated ground and calm winds mean increasing risks of frost, fog and icy conditions.”
UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold weather alert covering the whole of England valid from 9am on Saturday to 12pm on Tuesday.
Temperatures are likely to be below average especially overnight, with much more frost in the early morning than of late. Ice is likely to be an issue given the very wet ground in most areas.
Steven Keates, Met Office deputy chief forecaster, said: “The colder conditions across the UK are likely to be established for some time and will be a key theme of next week’s weather.
"However, the beginning of next week is likely to see the lowest temperatures of this colder spell, and by the end of next week we should start to see a gradual rise in values, at least for a time.”
Comments