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The British have been told to dust their coats for the first time since winter, as temperatures are forecast to drop below 10 ° C in some parts of the UK, 5 ° C below the seasonal average.
A 500-mile-wide ‘polar dip’ has spread over the August bank holiday, making it feel colder, but also bringing drier weather and less chance of rain.
Heavy downpours and 80 mph winds from Storm Francis hit the UK earlier this week, with cold winds from the north taking over the country for the next few days.
But pThe arty-goers were in effect on Friday as they celebrated the start of the long holiday weekend despite the rainy and windy conditions.
Temperatures are projected to drop by as much as 10 ° C in some parts of the UK, down to 5 ° C below average. In the photo we see a couple walking in the morning sun on Lose Hill, Peak District
The Lyme Regis, Dorset boardwalk seemed less crowded than usual this morning, possibly due to the low temperatures.
Groups install windbreaks on the beach to sit behind or sit on deck chairs dressed in coats and pants.
Polar air (pictured) has caused temperatures to drop in the UK, France, Spain and Portugal. But it will be pushed aside later in the week as a body of tropical air rises up the Gulf Stream.
Wind speeds and directions here show the movement of air currents that help determine the current weather.
The Met Office said that today will be a drier and sunnier day compared to yesterday, but it will also be noticeably cooler in many areas, keeping less-hardy bathers away from shore.
“High pressure is in charge today,” said meteorologist Gregory Dewhurst. “We had a lot of clouds in the east of the UK last night. That moved away now.
‘It’s going to be dry for almost everyone. There is a risk of a shower or two on practically the entire coast. But it will be much colder at night.
By midday, temperatures are expected to rise to 20 ° C (68 ° F) in parts of the UK, but remain as low as 13 ° C (55 ° F) in Balmoral, Scotland.
Tonight, temperatures in the countryside will drop as low as 2 ° C (35 ° F) in the north, about 5 ° C (41 ° F) below average, while in northern cities they will remain at a cold temperature of 6 43 ° F (2 ° C), about 36 ° F (2 ° C) below average.
In the south, mercury will drop to 4 ° C (39 ° F) tonight in the countryside and 8 ° C (46 ° F) in cities, below the average temperature of 10 ° C (50 ° F) for The time of year.
Last night, temperatures dropped to 0 ° C (32 ° F) in Catesbridge, Northern Ireland, with a scattering of light frosts appearing on the ground.
‘There is a possibility of frost in the glens of Scotland,’ said Mr Dewhurst, ‘but it will not be in towns and cities. They still have some warmth left ”.
‘Scattered’ rains are also expected along the East Anglia and Kent coasts tonight, with more rain expected for some coastal cities today.
The lowest temperature recorded yesterday was 3.4 ° C (48 ° F) in Swyddffynnon, Wales, when the polar front swept through
The Met Office said it is expected to be a dry day due to the polar front and sunnier, but it will also be colder.
Hundreds of caravan owners camping at Freshwater Beach Holiday Park in Burton Bradstock, Dorset. The Met Office said it would be sunny but temperatures would plummet
Countryside temperatures in Dorset could drop as low as 4 ° C tonight, making a cold night for many campers
Some of the coldest daytime temperatures on the weekend are likely to be found in the North Pennines, where some areas can only reach a temperature of 10 ° C (50 ° F) today.
Scarborough, North Yorks, meanwhile, is likely to peak at 13C (55F) this afternoon, which will feel like 8-9C (46-48F) due to strong winds from the north reaching 28 mph.
The Met Office said the high pressure will build over the weekend, bringing “lots of sun” and fewer winds.
Frank Saunders, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘We have seen a real mix of weather this August, with a heat wave earlier this month and in the last week we had two named storms that brought very wet weather and windy the country.
‘With a lot of pressure on the road this weekend, we are going to end the month with much more stable weather, with lots of late summer sun for many. It will also be a dry weekend for most areas.
The mixed forecast for the weekend follows heavy rain and thunder as 5.6 million motorists were expected to hit the roads for the holiday getaway.
There were flash floods in Devon, Cornwall and Hampshire on Friday morning, as more than half a month of rain fell in 12 hours.
Waves hit the pier at Roker Lighthouse in Sunderland yesterday afternoon as clouds roll in from the North Sea
Waves were seen crashing against the Scarborough, North Yorkshire promenade earlier yesterday as Britain grapples with a banking disaster.
Despite the gray and stormy weather, people were still seen walking the windy seafront in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, yesterday.
The wettest spot on Thursday was Lanreath, Cornwall, where two inches (51mm) fell over 24 hours until 7pm, the Met Office said. Cornwall’s average rainfall for the entire month of August is 81mm (3.2 inches).
As of yesterday, half an inch of rain fell in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, while Loftus, North Yorkshire, had 27.6 mm (1.1 inches) in 12 hours to 1 p.m., against a monthly average of 59.4 mm (2 , 3 inches) for August.
Heavy rains follow flooding and damage from storms named Ellen and Francis over the past 10 days.
The Met Office warns that later in the next week, parts of Britain could be affected by the debris of Hurricane Laura, which has devastated the states of Louisiana and Arkansas, leaving six people dead.
The hurricane is one of the strongest the United States has ever hit with winds reaching 150 mph.
The Met Office said Laura will become part of a low-pressure system in the Atlantic that will “continue eastward, toward Europe.”
It could bring ‘a period of wet and windy weather’ to Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland on Wednesday and Thursday, but forecasters say it is too early to predict if it will have any impact on England and Wales.