Arctic air is set to keep the UK colder than normal through the middle of the week, with temperatures expected to sit below the mid-May average for most people and to fall again from Wednesday. Tuesday began on a frosty note across much of England and Wales, while a weak weather front over Scotland and Northern Ireland brought a little rain instead of frost.
That front will be followed by scattered showers, mainly in Scotland, Northern Ireland and later northern England, though there will also be plenty of dry and sunny spells between them. Daytime temperatures on Tuesday will briefly return to average, ranging from about 12-17C from north to south, before the colder pattern tightens its grip again midweek.
From Wednesday, the air arriving over the country will come from northern Scandinavia and the Arctic circle, dropping temperatures to around 3-7C below average. Low pressure is expected to become more dominant at the same time, bringing strengthening winds and more showers. Some of those showers could turn wintry, with snow possible over the high ground of Scotland, and further ground frost is still likely.
The latest turn in the weather is a sharp reminder of how quickly spring can shift from one pattern to another. As the season moves from winter toward summer, big swings in temperature are normal, and the direction of the wind can make a major difference. Southerly winds can pull in warmer air from the Mediterranean and send temperatures into the high twenties, but that is not the pattern now.
Last week’s spring warmth is already fading into the background. The highest temperature recorded in the UK so far this year was 26.6C at Kew Gardens in London in early April, but that feels distant now as frost, showers and a northerly feed return. For people heading into midweek, the headline is simple: the brief milder spell will not last, and the colder air is coming back fast.
