Day 24 - frosty start

It is a cold and sunny start to the day across much of Britain and Ireland with a widespread frost to start the day for many. Eastern coastal districts have escaped the frost thanks to a northerly breeze and a few showers, and temperatures also remained a little higher around other coastal areas thanks to the relatively warm sea temperatures.

For the most part today will be fine and sunny if rather on the chilly side. The showers across eastern England and northeast Scotland will keep going for much of the time but even here there will be plenty of drier and sunnier spells in between. Temperatures will be a touch below normal despite the sunshine, and it will feel rather chilly when exposed to that northerly wind in the east.

Clear skies tonight will mean that temperatures will take a big fall and a widespread frost is expected for many parts. In rural spots this frost will become quite sharp, with minimums of -5C or below likely in some northern areas, and some patchy fog may well form too. The new working week will start off on a very cold note then, but it will be fine and sunny apart from the odd lingering shower close to the east coast. Many places will remain fine again on Monday, but later in the day freshening winds, thickening cloud and rain will arrive over Ireland.

This marks a change to a more unsettled outlook as we go through the coming week, but it will turn a milder. Rain will cross the country at times, accompanied by fresh to strong winds too, but with sunshine and showers in between.