Temperatures today and tomorrow could be up to six degrees colder than average for this time of year, with the weather feeling like it is in single figures in many places.
Cold air sweeping down from the Arctic is set to chill the country, and although there won’t be widespread snow and ice, there could still be frost on the ground in many rural areas.
The Met Office warned that ‘it could be quite a shock to system as you walk out the door over the next few mornings’.
Friday morning is set to be the coldest because high pressure is also building allowing more heat to be lost overnight.
But it’s definitely time to think about getting out your warm clothes and retiring the shorts and flip flops, if you haven’t already.
It comes as MPs voted in favour of cutting the winter fuel payment today as a universal benefit for all pensioners aged over 66.
A Conservative motion to annul the Government’s cuts was defeated by 348 votes to 228, majority 120.
The prime minister had faced a considerable rebellion on his controversial plans to means test the benefit, which would mean more than nine million pensioners losing out on between £200 and £300 each year to go towards heating their homes.
Met Office spokesman Johnathan Vautrey said temperatures for most of the week will be 4-6C below average, meaning many will be turning on their radiators for the first time in months.
Patchy frost could develop in the ‘unseasonably cold’ conditions by tomorrow night, forecasters have said.
‘Many of us will see temperatures in the mid-teens – around 13-14C – whereas normally at this time of year it would be at least 16-18C, if not closer towards 19-20C in the far south east, places like London,’ Mr Vautrey said.
But temperatures will feel even colder and ‘more like single figures’ for a lot of places due to strong winds.
The forecaster said Thursday into Friday is likely to be the coldest night of the week, as temperatures in rural areas could drop below freezing.
‘For people waking up on Friday morning it could be quite a shock to the system as they’re walking out of the door,’ Mr Vaultrey said.
‘There is a small chance of some snow falling over the highest mountains of Scotland, but you’ll have to hike quite a way before you see any snow.’
The Met Office said the cold spell is not expected to last too long and temperatures will start to climb back up towards average by the weekend.
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