Cold weather on the way

While the unseasonable mild weather has continued throughout October it looks as if it's time to unpack the winter wollies as the cold weather looks set to bite. Temperatures are expected to drop as low as -3C in some parts of the country over the October Bank Holiday.

Conditions will be chilly as the week goes on, with freezing conditions to settle in on Friday and Saturday. We can expect highs of up to 12C today, but it'll be a chilly night with rain and drizzle affecting all areas for a time and temperatures of between 2C and 4C.

Tomorrow, Friday will be a cold and breezy day with some sunny spells and frequent showers. Many of the showers will be heavy with hail and the risk of thunder. Highest temperatures will range from 6 to 8 degrees, but it will feel colder than this in the fresh and gusty northwest winds, which will be strong to near gale force along the coast.

Saturday will be a very cold day with marked wind chill continuing. Cold crisp sunny spells will alternate with fairly widespread showers, which will be heavy at times with a risk of hail and thunder. The showers will be particularly frequent in coastal areas of west, north and east with inland parts of the south likely to see the least number of showers.

Top temperatures on Saturday just 6 to 9 degrees. Saturday night will see largely clear skies with temperatures dipping minus 3 to plus 2 degrees with a widespread frost forming by dawn and a risk of icy patches.

It will be dry and fine with good sunshine on Sunday, after a frosty start.