The UK will experience more settled, drier and noticeably colder weather moving southwards across the UK during the weekend and this will remain in place for the early part of next week. 

Dan Suri, Chief Meteorologist, said: “The jet stream – which brought the UK a spell of wet and windy weather – is now plunging southwards, pulling in much colder air in its wake.

“The effect of this will be far more settled and brighter conditions, but the much colder conditions will bring widespread frost and falling temperatures, although the extreme southern part of England will escape the harshest conditions.

“A strong northeasterly wind will make it feel bitterly cold in places on Saturday. Daytime temperatures will struggle to reach 4-5 °C and some sheltered parts of northern Scotland may not rise above freezing.”

Sunday will remain cold. Dan Suri added: “Despite the low temperatures, many places will experience a cracking day on Sunday with lots of sunshine, light winds and sparkling visibility.”

Looking further ahead, the cold weather seems likely to persist at least into the early parts of next week with some very cold nights expected. Temperatures in some inland areas, away from towns and cities, could dip below -10°C from Saturday night onwards as winds ease.

Dr Thomas Waite, of Public Health England's extreme events team, said: “As the temperatures drop it’s really important to think about what you can do to prepare for the cold and protect more vulnerable friends and family from the ill-effects of the cold.

“Ensure they wear lots of thin layers, have plenty of warm food and drinks to stay warm and check weather forecasts before heading out. Also wear shoes with a good, slip-resistant grip to prevent any accidental falls.

“When indoors stay warm and heat homes to at least 18C. This is particularly important if anyone in the home is very young, 65 or over or has a long-term health condition.”

Whatever weather we experience over the next few days you can make sure that you and those around you are prepared for winter weather and can cope with its impacts. You’ll always find the most up to date information on our forecast pages, Twitter and Facebook, as well as our mobile app.