Met Office forecasters have issued a warning for “freezing fog” as temperatures look set to plummet to -6C in parts of the UK tonight.
Unsettled weather conditions are expected across the country this evening, following hours of relatively bliss spring temperatures.
The South of England will experience particularly cold conditions, with wet and windy weather also forecast.
The Met Office took to social media to alert the public, stating: “A chilly night tonight, especially across the south where temperatures will widely drop below freezing with freezing fog patches developing by dawn.”
The south of England will experience particularly cold conditions, with wet and windy weather also forecast
Met Office/ X
According to the Met Office’s weather maps, temperatures could drop as low as -6C around London and Buckinghamshire this evening.
Hampshire is also expected to see temperatures plummet to around -4C.
This follows thick fog that covered south-east England earlier this morning. The cold snap comes alongside ferocious 60mph gusts that have been blasting parts of Scotland.
Forecasters predict temperatures will “widely” dip below freezing across southern regions. Freezing fog patches are expected to develop by dawn, potentially causing difficult conditions.
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Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern explained: “The northern half of the UK will experience increasing wind speeds, through Tuesday, with wind gusts of in excess of 50mph, even 60mph, in parts of northern Scotland.”
He added: “For the south its a clam and frosty start to Tuesday, widely -1 to -3C and in some of the colder spots such as Benson in Oxfordshire, temperatures could dip below -5C.”
McGivern noted that fog patches would “disappear mid morning” with “a beautiful spring sunny day” following for much of England and Wales.
Foggy conditions could cause significant travel disruption during rush hour periods.
Met Office Meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer warned: “[It’s] a really quite chilly start to the working week. Also quite a foggy start too particularly across the very far south east.”
She added that this “could cause some disruption during Monday morning’s rush hour.” “Do take care if you are travelling,” Glaisyer advised.
The freezing temperatures follow a cold weekend, with some areas in the southeast recording -6.1C on Sunday. These conditions continued into Monday, bringing an increased risk of disruption.
The cold spell is expected to continue through the evening with freezing fog developing overnight.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time for journeys, particularly for Wednesday morning’s commute
PA
Motorists are advised to allow extra time for journeys, particularly for Wednesday morning’s commute. The Met Office suggests checking local forecasts before travelling.
Despite the freezing start, many southern areas will enjoy clear, sunny conditions once the morning fog clears.
Northern regions will continue to experience blustery conditions with increasing rainfall expected later Tuesday.
Residents in affected areas should prepare for potentially icy conditions on untreated surfaces.