Three more cold days with frosts, before it turns milder – and wetter.

Thanks to Becky for the photograph.

Clear skies tonight with a widespread sharp frost, widely down to -5’C, more sheltered spots a little lower. A few patches of freezing fog possible.

For Friday we are in a waiting pattern – waiting for a large area of low pressure to our south-west to head our way.

Any fog patches in the morning will lift to sunshine – those starting sunny (most places) will stay sunny all day. Cold, around 2’C. Clear skies at first overnight, though some high/mid level cloud spreading in from the west as the night goes on. Again widely down to around -5’C, I wouldn’t be surprised to see -7’C in places.

Saturday generally sees some sunny spells and variable amounts of cloud. The south-westerly breeze mixing out the temperatures a bit, so reaching maybe 4’C, perhaps even 5’C – so less cold than it has been, but with a breeze. Clear skies at first overnight, though cloud thickening as the night goes on. Another frost, minimum temperatures somewhere between -2’C and -4’C.

Sunday starts cloudy. Rain will spread across from the west, arriving roughly between 10am and 1pm – there may be a very short spell of sleet/snow to start but even on that smallish chance, it will very quickly turn to rain. Then the rest of the day…and night…sees sporadic outbreaks of rain – sometimes dry, sometimes light rain, sometimes heavy. Still cold by day, maybe only 2’C in mid-afternoon, but temperatures will gradually keep increasing to 12’C overnight. Strong winds too. Welcome back, autumn.

Low pressure well in control for Monday.

It will remain windy, cloudy with further showery outbreaks of rain – again sometimes light, sometimes dry – but occasionally some heavy bursts. 12’C. Uncertain overnight, though the more likely outcome sees showery rain clearing, to clear spells.

That’s actually as far as I can go in terms of reliable day-to-day details at the moment.

The more likely outcome for Tuesday through to Christmas Day, is that it stays unsettled with spells of rain – but when it rains cannot yet be ascertained.

However, the hemispheric pattern remains conducive to further cold weather for the UK, so within this time period, we could easily see cold weather spreading down from the north once more, short spells most likely, but would also give a chance of wintry surprises.

Let’s summarise next week as changeable and uncertain, likely with rain at times, likely mild more than cold – but short cold spells possible within.

But this significant cold spell is ending on Sunday.