December-like chill, wintry showers to descend on the UK later this week

By Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

October 23, 2018, 11:58:54 AM EDT

The first taste of winter will be felt across the United Kingdom from Friday into this weekend.

An arctic air mass currently over Greenland will dive southward into the U.K. on Friday and settle over the country for the weekend.

Temperatures will begin to tumble on Friday as cold winds and blustery showers are felt across the entire country.

The harshest cold will be across northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, where highs will reach only 6-9 C (42-49 F).

As temperatures fall Friday night, the showers will become wintry across higher terrain of Scotland.

Showers will become less widespread over the weekend; however, the chilly winds and cold air will persist.

Throughout the weekend, showers will be mainly confined to western Scotland, Northern Ireland, western Wales, Southwest England and the east coast of England and Scotland.

Snow will fall across the higher terrain, with lasting accumulations expected Saturday night and Sunday night in parts of northern Wales, northern England and Scotland.

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High temperatures over the weekend will be the lowest since April in southern England. The high temperature will struggle to reach 10 C (50 F) in London both Saturday and Sunday.

Gusty winds will make it feel even colder, with AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures of 4-5 C (39-41 F) during the afternoon hours across Greater London.

Subfreezing temperatures are expected across most of the U.K. in locations away from the immediate coastline on Sunday night, resulting in the first widespread freeze for many areas.

This cold weather will linger into next week as temperatures remain well below normal throughout the country both Monday and Tuesday.

Along with the chill in the air, snow will be possible in eastern Scotland and eastern England on Monday and Tuesday.