UK weather forecast: Near gale force winds and freezing temperatures set to hit Britain

Remnants of Hurricane Oscar and Storm Adrian likely arrive with more sub-zero nights on the way

The UK is set to be battered by near gale force winds and subzero temperatures as several weather fronts converge over the British Isles in the coming days.

The country endured its coldest night of the autumn so far and its chilliest overall since 1 April on Monday into Tuesday morning, as the mercury dropped to -7.3C in both Sennybridge in Mid Wales and Shap in Cumbria.

Although most have woken up to frosty conditions, Tuesday is likely to be a dry day for many, but those in the southeast corner of England could see unsettled weather brought by the remnants of Storm Adrian.

The storm, which brought gale force winds, power cuts and travel disruption to the French island of Corsica on Monday, will have weakened by the time it reaches British shores, but still carries with it wet and windy weather.

“What is left of Storm Adrian, which has been causing problems in the Mediterranean, will deliver a glancing blow to the southeast of the country, bringing strong winds and rain,” said Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge.

“You will see near gale force winds and heavy spells of rain, but nothing worthy of a weather warning and nothing as strong as has been seen over Europe this week.”

Temperatures are set to plummet again by Tuesday evening, with most areas likely to see freezing conditions of around -3 or -4C overnight, with western counties also experiencing downpours.

On Wednesday the southeast will enjoy a much better day, staying dry and bright as temperatures rise to 14C, while more rain is expected in the west.

Most places will see showers on Thursday, but parts of the northwest and southeast will get more significant rainfall.

But as Friday arrives, what remains of Hurricane Oscar, which is currently brewing in the mid-Atlantic, could sweep across Britain.

The cyclone, unlikely to still be hurricane-strength by the time it reaches the UK, is now not expected to hit the country as directly as forecasters first feared.

However, the Met Office is continuing to monitor the situation.

“What is left of ex-hurricane Oscar seems to now be pushing further north, so may not have as much of a direct impact on us as we were thinking,” Mr Partridge added.

“However, it will still bring a spell of wet and windy weather to most places and although it looks at the moment as if Oscar will head further north, it is only Tuesday so much could still change.”