Britain’s week of wall-to-wall sunshine is set to come to a miserable end as temperatures plunge bringing widespread frost, icy roads and biting-cold winds.
Forecasters have warned of wintry showers, sleet and even some snow falling along the eastern coastal counties of the UK as the weather takes a turn this weekend.
After Londoners basked in unseasonably warm temperatures of 19C this week, the mercury will plunge and with strong winds it will feel as cold as 2C in some regions.
This week’s mini-heatwave arrived just as a nationwide lockdown was enforced amid efforts to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus sweeping the UK.
“Many places will have seen glorious sunshine, but that’s all about to change,” Met Office meteorologist Emma Salter said.
She told the Standard: “It’s going to be colder than yesterday [on Friday], and that's the theme over the next few days too.
“Winds will pick up from Saturday and coastal parts will feel it most, with speeds of between 30 and 40 mph.
“Those speeds are not enough to cause any real issues but the gales will contribute it feeling so miserably cold.”
“On Sunday we’re looking at highs in London of about 9C and seven elsewhere, but applying the feels-like factor it will be about 2C in some places.”
The arrival of wintry showers, sleet and snow along the eastern coast on Sunday could spark some weather warnings for ice, she said.
