UK weather: Arctic air blast to spark frosty weekend as mercury drops to 3C

The UK is set to see temperatures tumble this weekend with frost in many areas from Arctic air moving southwards after heavy rain and wind has battered the country

Brits are set to shiver in an Arctic blast this weekend with temperatures plummeting after a deluge of wind and heavy rain.

Only last week parts of the UK were enjoying warm weather and blue skies and the temperatures have remained mild even if the storm clouds have arrived. But by the weekend conditions will start to feel noticeably cooler with Arctic air drifting down from the north. And so there will be frost in some areas on Saturday morning with the mercury having dropped to low single figures.

Maps show that it could be as low as 3C around Newcastle, 4C for central Scotland and central parts of England while 5C in northwest England and the southeast. And Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said: "All the heavy during this week has been from this low pressure, scooting away during Friday and then opening the door to the winds coming down from the north bringing with it Arctic air. So it is going to feel pretty chilly first thing on Saturday."

He continued: “Some pockets of frost in rural parts of the south and certainly frost likely in parts of northern England, Scotland and along with Northern Ireland, temperatures in urban area at 3C, 4C, 5C above freezing. Certainly you’ll feel that freshness on Saturday morning but we will start the weekend with some sunshine.”

Before that though it is going to be very wet and windy through tonight and into tomorrow. The Met Office has urged Brits to stay safe and avoid travelling by road as up to 60mm worth of torrential rainfall will cause flooding in several areas, affecting communities already recovering from recent deluges.

Rivers will also continue to rise after the rain clears, it added with transport disruption this evening and overnight is to be expected amid the washout where as much as a month's rain could fall in a day.

A rare amber “danger to life” weather warning is in place for rain in central England which runs until 6am. Slow moving showers and thunderstorms today will soon intensify through the afternoon into the late evening, merging into "a large band of heavy rain" - with central and eastern parts of the warning area bearing the brunt of the storm, the Met Office said.

There are yellow warnings for rain that cover the south, central parts of England and the north east which run until midnight. And then tomorrow a yellow warning from 6am until 9am convers central and southern England.