Snow, wintry showers and strong winds could hit parts of the UK this weekend in the country’s first cold spell of the autumn, with a yellow warning issued for strong gusts in Shetland.
The Met Office said sleet and snow could fall in the north of Scotland and on peaks above 400 metres (1,312ft) high.
Saturday is expected to be the coldest night of the year across the country, with temperatures reaching sub-zero levels. Temperatures could plummet to -4C in Wales and -5C in the south-west of England.
Temperatures are not expected to reach double digits during the day on Saturday but will warm slightly, returning to above 10C by Sunday and into the following week.
A Met Office spokesperson said the UK has historically had its first autumn cold snaps in October. “We can see there’s big swings in temperatures, all it takes is a quick change from a southern wind into a north wind to have that change. It’s not unusual to see these changes,” they said.
A yellow warning has been posted for the Shetland archipelago, where winds could reach 70mph between 10pm and 6am over the next 24 hours.
Temperatures could reach 0C at midnight. The Met Office warned of icy stretches, and reminded people to remain vigilant.
Strong winds are hitting the north-east of the UK and are forecast to whip up high waves and pose challenges to lorries over the weekend.
The strong winds are affecting the east of the country down to Norfolk, but are milder farther south.
