Milder weekend forecast in UK as autumn freeze eases off

The UK should have a milder weekend as the unusual autumn freeze eases off, after cold health alerts were issued and temperatures plummeted overnight, forecasters have said.

After frost on Saturday morning, most of the UK should enjoy a “fine day with some sunshine”, the Met Office said. However, it will not be blue skies for everyone, as torrential rain and showers are predicted to move in from the west, bringing patchy rain and strong winds across the north and far west of the UK.

Snow is also on the cards for north-west Scotland, the Met Office said. Temperatures on Saturday morning were expected to vary between 5C (41F) in Norwich and Manchester and 11C in Plymouth

The mild reprieve will be welcome to many Britons after temperatures on Friday night fell as low as -6.6C in Sennybridge, near Bannau Brycheiniog in south Wales, and -6.5C in Shap, a village near Penrith in Cumbria.

The first yellow cold health alerts of the season were issued this week by the UK Health Security Agency for the West Midlands and the north-west, and remained in place until midday on Saturday.

These alerts indicated the weather was “likely to have minor impacts on health and social care services”, including an increased use of healthcare services and a greater risk to life to vulnerable people, the agency said.

A dog walker braves a cold and frosty morning in the Oxfordshire countryside. Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock

Eastern parts of England should have drier spells on Saturday evening, with clear spells and some frost. But other parts of the UK would be cloudy, with passing showers, the forecaster said.

On Sunday, temperatures are expected to stay above freezing in the morning. Sunshine is expected to brighten things up in the east, and the UK’s far north and west will also be treated to a bit of sunshine later in the day.

However, people elsewhere should expect plenty of cloud and wind, as well as rain, some heavy, and potential hill snow in Scotland and the north of England.

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