That’s the last of summer as mercury dips

BRITAIN will finally say goodbye to the long hot summer of 2018 this weekend with temperatures set to plunge dramatically today.

Forecasters say that the 24C (7 F) enjoyed on a glorious sunny day in the south-east yesterday is unlikely to be repeated until next year.

The Met Office expects the mercury to plummet to zero tonight with daytime highs of no more than 17C (63F) over the weekend. October will be ‘generally colder than average, but with some milder interludes’.

Motorists are warned to prepare for morning fog and frosty nights.

There could be snow on high ground in the North from mid-October and a white winter could be in store more generally thanks in part to a weak El Niño – a weather phenomenon linked to warm water in the Pacific.

The South should see a cloudy start today, clearing later to fine conditions with good spells of sunshine. It is expected to be cloudier and colder in the North, with some rain.

The forecast for tomorrow is sunny spells, particularly in England and Wales, with more cloud in the northwest. Northern Scotland faces strong winds with rain pushing into northwestern parts.