Wintry showers to lash UK as temperatures plunge after week of unseasonably warm weather
More wintry showers are set to hit parts of the UK as temperatures drop below average following a spell of unseasonably warm weather.
While the nation was getting used to life in lockdown last week, sunshine struck sending the mercury soaring.
Temperatures peaked at 19.4C (66.9F) last Wednesday in north Wales - about 8C above average for this time of year.
But the sunny spell was chased away by biting-cold winds over the weekend and on Monday, with snow hitting parts of the country - including in London.
Looking ahead, it will still be a bright start on Tuesday, with some patches of frost, and staying mostly dry throughout the day, the Met Office said.
But the first few days of April will also feel significantly colder, with the thermometer sitting a couple of degrees lower than normal.
Met Office meteorologist Luke Miall said: "We will see spells of sunshine, cloudier skies at times and a few showers may affect eastern England, eastern Scotland and maybe northern Scotland as well, but the vast majority will be dry."
It is a similar picture on Wednesday, with temperatures hitting 11C (51.8F) or 12C (53.6F) at their warmest.
From Thursday, windier weather is expected across northern England and Northern Ireland, with some heavy showers hitting Scotland and snow on higher ground.
Despite the chill, the weather is due to settle on Friday as the high pressure that has been dominating the UK's air flows returns, bringing a dry day across the country.
"It is going to be a chilly feel most of the week really," Mr Miall said.
"No uncommon temperatures but definitely feeling cold - it will mainly be feeling cold because of how warm it was last week."
He added: "Temperatures are slightly below average for the time of year but near where they should be.
"Towards the end of the week highs will be peaking at 10C (50F) in the South with the North looking at 6C (42.8F) to 8C (46.4F) - a couple of degrees down on where we should be."
The bright calm weather seen last week was due to a patch of record-breaking high pressure sitting across the UK.
"It gave us plenty of clear blue skies, lots of sunshine and fine weather," Mr Miall said.
"The high pressure was influencing our weather because it was just slightly to the east of us.
"It meant the winds were coming around from the east and the south-east which is a warmer direction than this week, where they are coming down from the north."
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