UK weather: Britain to bask in 18C warm blast before ‘Scandinavian cold snap’ to send mercury spiralling

Britain is set to enjoy a warm blast with temperatures potentially reaching 18C this weekend – before colder air from Scandinavia sends the mercury plummeting.

A mild southerly flow will sweep across the UK bringing spring-like conditions to much of the country on Saturday and Sunday, according to forecasters at NetWeather.

The warm spell will be short-lived, however, as meteorologists warn of a significant temperature drop by Monday.

Gradually, colder air from the continent will move over the North Sea and bring a chill to the east coast of Britain to end the weekend.

A brisk easterly wind will make conditions feel particularly cold as the new week begins.

NetWeather’s senior forecaster Jo Farrow explained: “Our weekend weather will be influenced by a large low pressure away to the southwest of the UK.”

She added: “For the UK, a mild southerly flow will follow the main warm front which pushes Friday night’s cold air away from northern Scotland.”

This warm sector will cover much of the country by Saturday morning.

“Temperatures will be in the mid teens, perhaps reaching 17 or 18C depending on the sunshine,” Farrow said.

The warm conditions result from a weather system that is also bringing unsettled conditions to Portugal and Spain, where there has already been impactful flooding.

Saturday will see most of the UK in the “warm sector” with fair, bright conditions across England and Wales.

There will be clusters of showers moving in from the southwest.

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“Northern Ireland, Wales and counties around the Irish Sea will see a scattering of showers but still a good deal of dry weather in between,” according to Farrow.

Six Nations rugby fans can expect reasonable conditions for matches – Ireland vs France in Dublin should be dry at 11C, though there’s a risk of passing showers.

Then, the Scotland-Wales match in Edinburgh is forecast to be dry but cool at Murrayfield.

Skies will clear overnight with temperatures dipping into single figures.

Sunday will start fine and bright for much of the UK with mild temperatures continuing.

England fans heading to Twickenham for the Italy match can expect “a fine, warm afternoon,” Farrow noted.

She advised ticket holders to “keep an eye on the progress of the cold front rainband away to the south.”

The warm front will still be lingering over the Scottish Islands with a brisk easterly wind.

While conditions look promising for most areas, there could be exceptions.

“The cold front could bring rain to Cornwall, even along the south coast of England,” Farrow warned.

Wind direction will shift throughout the weekend, moving away from the mild southerly flow.

Forecasters are warning Britons not to be fooled by the weekend warmth.

“Don’t head off to work on Monday in a light spring-time outfit,” cautioned Farrow. “It will feel colder in the brisk easterly wind.”

The temperature shift will be particularly noticeable following the mild weekend conditions.

Cold air from the continent will gradually push across the North Sea towards Britain.

By Sunday evening, eastern coastal areas will begin to feel the chill first.

And the easterly winds will strengthen, making temperatures feel significantly lower than readings suggest.

The Met Office forecast for today shows Scotland and Northern Ireland will be rather cloudy with patchy rain.

England and Wales can expect sunshine after early fog clears in the south.

Increasing cloud will bring showers to western areas later, with conditions remaining mild but breezy.

Friday will be mainly cloudy with scattered, sometimes heavy showers spreading northwards.

The outlook for Saturday to Monday confirms “a more changeable weather pattern” with all areas seeing “some spells of sunshine, though with showers developing at times too.”

Temperatures will remain “warm in sunshine, and mostly frost-free” though conditions will often be breezy.