NI temperatures set to plummet with first cold snap on the way

NORTHERN Ireland is braced for the first real cold snap of the season with Co Fermanagh expected to bear the brunt tonight, although it is expected to be short-lived.

Temperatures are set to plummet to well below freezing for a second night, bringing the coldest night of the autumn so far.

Rural areas are most at risk of seeing heavy frost with Enniskillen expected to see the mercury sink as low as -5C.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said yesterday that temperatures in Belfast could manage to stay just above zero overnight into today “but that is still cold enough for frost because of the air temperature”.

“However, the air temperature won’t be as low on Monday night meaning there won’t be such a widespread ground frost,” he added.

While any freezing mist and fog will clear away today, temperatures will drop sharply after dark with rural areas seeing temperatures of -5C again.

England and Wales is expected to see as low as -2C or -3C with the possibility of hilly parts seeing -5C.

Scotland is braced for the chilliest start to the week as temperatures could dip to minus double digits.

Mr Petagna said light winds from the south or south east will pick up on Tuesday morning bringing cloud in from the west with a risk of rain at times.

“That will push temperatures up a bit to where they should be which is about eight or nine degrees by Thursday,” he said.

“Night- t i me t emperatures should hold at about four or five degrees.”

The weather forecaster said Friday could even see temperatures climb slightly higher than is normal for this time of year.

He ruled out the prospect of snow in the near future, although he did admit that conditions are changeable.

“The current trend as we approach the end of the month and into December remains unsettled for Northern Ireland and Scotland,” he said.

The cold snap comes just over a week after parts of Northern Ireland were hit by floods which saw two pensioners being rescued in Co Down.

In England, large parts of the country remain mired in floods, although much- needed relief from heavy rainfall has been forecast for flood-hit areas in the coming days.