Temperatures to dip to -5C as first cold health alerts of season issued

On Thursday evening, the weather will be clear and calm across much of the country as temperatures fall rapidly.

Winds will have eased somewhat across Northern Scotland and along the North Sea coast.

Friday will bring frost on grass, pavements and cars in many parts as the air temperature falls below zero from Scotland to Southern England.

Most towns and cities will experience temperatures around zero or just below, while rural spots in Scotland and even southern England chill to minus 5C.

Counties along western and southern western coasts of the UK will not be quite as cold, as the warmer sea and an onshore breeze will prevent frost from forming.

Inland, after a frosty morning, daytime highs will peak at 6 or 7C for most.

Saturday and Sunday night will be cold and frosty in some southern and eastern parts of the country.

By the weekend though, milder weather will already be spreading in from the Atlantic making the cold snap rather brief for most.

You can check the latest forecast predictions for the rest of the month in our Monthly Outlook.