A fierce weather system is heading towards the UK from the north west and will result in the cloud thickening in Scotland and Northern Ireland today.
Carol Kirkwood, who presented the BBC Breakfast weather report this morning, told viewers there would be a lot of cloud around during the early hours of the day.
She said: “We do have a lot of cloud first thing this morning, especially across the central sway of the UK.
“As we go through this week, while it’s going to be cold, by Friday temperatures will recover temporarily before going down hill.”
Today, the winds will pick up around the Western Isles and gusts could move as fast as 60mph.
When the rain arrives it will turn more persistent and heavy through Northern Ireland and western Scotland by the afternoon.
There may also be some hill snow in Scotland, however, much of England and Wales will remain dry and bright.
In fact, forecasters expect it to be quite sunny in Kent this afternoon and temperatures across the UK will range between four and eight degrees Celsius.
For most Britons Monday is going to be a rather frosty day and it may be hazy too in some places due to dense cloud.
As a weather system sweeps the south of the UK this evening it will feel brisk when the winds gain momentum.
What’s more, hill snow is predicted in parts of Scotland and the Pennines, while the white stuff may come out in bursts on lower ground.
Overnight and into Tuesday morning, the heat value will tumble as the winds continue to tear through the UK.
The freezing weather this January has forced leading bookmaker Coral top slash odds on this month being the coldest January on record.
Now, Coral has put odds on at 1-2 from 4-5 this month goes down as the chilliest January in UK history.
Also, the firm is offering odds of 1-10 that there is snow in any major city in the UK by the end of this week.
While it is now 4-5 chance snow will fall in London this week, as the UK is set for the longest cold spell in six years.
“It looks like we are set for one of the coldest spells of weather in six years,” said Coral’s spokesman John Hill.
“Therefore the odds have been slashed on this month ending as the coldest January on record in the UK.”
He added: “Some parts of the country have already seen snow this month and the betting suggests it will fall again next week, with London odds-on to see the white stuff.”
BBC Breakfast airs weekdays on BBC One at 6am.
