The Met Office has warned of freezing temperatures over the UK as Arctic air slowly moves away.
Frosty mornings and freezing overnight temperatures are forecast in parts of the UK as a result of the Arctic air.
However, as it moves away a warmer spell will be ushered in over the weekend, forecasters have said.
The Met Office said temperatures in parts of northern England and Scotland could plunge to as low as -3C on Thursday night – with snow on some higher ground – as northerly winds continue to bring chilly nights and below-average temperatures throughout the day.
A chilly start to Thursday morning, with sunny spells and scattered showers across the country 🌦️
— Met Office (@metoffice) April 24, 2024
Showers falling as snow over the higher ground in the north ❄️ pic.twitter.com/RV7VHnHCLz
Average April temperatures are usually around 14C to 15C across the country but so far this month conditions have been colder, closer to 10C in the south east of England
The Met Office said there was a risk of heavy rain and possible thunderstorms in southern areas of the UK over the weekend as an area of low pressure moves across the country, causing unsettled weather and cloudy skies to accompany the warmer conditions as the week progresses.
Ellie Glaisyer, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said the chillier temperatures experienced in April were “nothing exceptional” and are expected to move closer to their seasonal averages over the weekend and into the start of next week.
She said that on Wednesday and Thursday night “there will be some frost in places”, adding: “The reason for (the low temperatures) is that we’ve got an area of high pressure out towards the west of the UK and that gives us a northerly wind across the UK.
“So it’s those northerly winds that are bringing us to slightly below-average temperatures, particularly across eastern parts of the UK, as the air is coming from towards the Arctic.”
Ms Glaisyer added the colder temperatures are expected to last for the next few days, with areas of eastern England experiencing particularly chilly weather, before temperatures rise over the weekend and possibly even exceed their seasonal averages by one or two degrees in places.
Freezing temperatures expected overnight in Scotland and northern England could possibly extend as far as rural parts of Wales and some parts of central England over the next two days, she added.
But the forecaster said the weather conditions were “nothing exceptional, just a little below average for the time of year”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here