A polar blast days before Christmas looks set to plunge parts of the UK into a deep freeze with temperatures crashing to -13C, the latest weather maps show.
One chart generated by Netweather on Monday (December 9) shows -13C in the Cairngorms at midnight on December 21, with -10C around Peebles, -5C in the Lake District and -5C in the North Pennines.
Elsewhere, minimum temperatures look set to be low minus single figures, with -1C in Newcastle, -1C in Birmingham, -1C in Colchester and just 1C in Cardiff, according to Netweather.
If Netweather’s maps prove accurate this far out, most of the country could see freezing temperatures, with the South of England and Welsh coasts seeing the mercury hovering around 0C to 1C.
Another weather map, also generated on Monday, shows much of Europe in the grip of an Arctic blast on December 21. Meanwhile, southern Portugal, southern Spain, the south of Italy and much of the Balkans escape the winter chill.
Separately, the Met Office’s long range weather forecast, covering December 14-23, says temperatures will vary around average, shifting between “colder and milder interludes”.
According to the Met Office, it may also be quite windy at times, particularly in the north. Southern Britain has a greater chance of longer dry, settled spells.
The forecaster says a “likely scenario” is for occasional rain and blustery showers, which may be wintry in the northwest.
Netweather’s long-range forecast for December 16-22 says temperatures are likely to be near normal in most parts of Scotland but probably a bit below normal.
Its forecast expects it to be wetter than normal in most of the UK. Eastern Scotland and north-east England may see close to or slightly below average precipitation.
However, according to Netweather, Britons may expect possibly above-normal sunshine totals because of polar and Arctic maritime air masses.
It says eastern Scotland and north-east England are particularly likely to see substantially above-average sunshine.
Met Office UK five-day weather forecast
Monday, December 9 – Friday, December 13
Headline: Gradually settling down, though some frost and fog will develop.
This evening and tonight, central and southern areas will stay mostly cloudy with scattered showers, most frequent towards the southeast. It will be breezy, too, especially along the coasts. In the north, fog and frost will develop under the clearest skies.
Showers on Tuesday will be confined to the far south and stay cloudy. Frost and fog will persist throughout the morning across Northern Ireland and Scotland, but it will be sunny elsewhere.
The outlook for Wednesday to Friday is for blustery showers to die out in the south as high pressure gradually settles across the UK. This will bring mostly fine weather with some sunshine. Overnight, frost and fog will be present. In the far north, patchy rain will occur.
