After experiencing a relatively mild and wet start to November, the United Kingdom is bracing for a significant drop in temperatures later this month, with weather maps indicating a shift to colder conditions. Inverness-shire, the largest county in Scotland in terms of land area, is expected to face the coldest temperatures, dropping to -5°C. Northern Scotland is also forecasted to see frigid lows of -4°C and -3°C on November 17, as per the latest weather maps from WX Charts.
The cold snap, depicted in blue on the recent WXCharts map, is projected to blanket a large portion of the country, reaching as far north as Sutherland and as far south as Devon around midnight on Monday, November 17. These freezing conditions are anticipated to persist into the early morning hours, with minimum temperatures of -5°C, -4°C, and -3°C in northern Scotland, -2°C and -1°C in northern England, 0°C in Devon, 0°C to -1°C in Wales, and -1°C in Somerset by 6 am on November 17.
Historically, the coldest November on record in Britain occurred in 1919, with an average temperature of just 2.3°C. On November 14 of that year, Braemar in Aberdeenshire recorded a bone-chilling -23.3°C, marking the lowest daily minimum temperature ever documented in the UK for the month of November, as confirmed by the Met Office.
The Met Office’s extended forecast for the period spanning from November 9 to November 18 indicates a continuation of changeable and occasionally unsettled weather, with low pressure systems dominating the UK initially, leading to sporadic rainfall. However, a transition to a more stable weather pattern is expected around the 11th or 12th of the month, bringing drier conditions and a shift to southeasterly or easterly winds. Temperature-wise, the forecast suggests that average temperatures will prevail during this period.
The upcoming weather patterns highlight the potential for a significant chill across various regions of the United Kingdom, emphasizing the need for preparedness and caution amid the anticipated drop in temperatures.