Britain could be hit by a sharp October chill with temperatures plunging to just 1C in parts of the country, new weather maps suggest. The WXCharts maps for 12pm on October 12 show a dramatic drop in temperatures across parts of Scotland and Wales, with 12 areas forecast to fall below 4C.
As per usual, the coldest conditions appear concentrated across the Scottish Highlands, where temperatures could sink as low as 1C, while large swathes of Scotland and parts of Wales are shown at between 1C and 3C.
Scottish Council Areas in Sub-4C Zone
Seven Scottish council areas are caught in the sub-4C zone: Highland, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Perth and Kinross, Angus, Stirling and Argyll and Bute.
In Wales, Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire, Merionethshire and Caernarvonshire are also shown experiencing temperatures below 4C, while Cumbria is the only English area on the list.
Milder Conditions Elsewhere
Northern Ireland looks considerably milder on the WXCharts map, at around 8C, while much of the rest of England is shown between approximately 6C and 9C.
The forecast cold snap would mark a notable change from the warm conditions around the turn of the month. According to the latest Met Office forecast, London could reach an unusually warm 26C on Tuesday before returning to normal October weather.
Mixed Forecasts Ahead
The warmer spell may not disappear immediately as October begins, though. Current Met Office guidance for October 2 to October 11 suggests some rain initially, particularly across northern and western Britain, before higher pressure is expected to bring more settled conditions.
The forecaster expects the period overall to be drier than average, with lighter-than-average winds, although spells of stronger winds and more unsettled weather remain possible. Temperatures are expected to remain warmer than average through the period.
That means the WXCharts projection for October 12 would represent a particularly chilly interlude following what could be one of the last notably warm spells of early autumn.
However, there remains a lot of uncertainty this far ahead, and the Met Office's longer-range outlook paints a somewhat different picture from the WXCharts temperature map. Its forecast for October 12 to October 26 says: "High pressure and more settled conditions early in the period may give way to a more changeable pattern towards mid-October."
"This will bring a greater chance of wet and windy conditions at times, but there will still be periods of drier and more settled weather. Temperatures are likely be above average for the period as a whole."
