Families across Britain were urged to wrap up warm on Bonfire Night tomorrow as temperatures plunge to -3C (27F), but forecasters expect 'fine viewing conditions for any fireworks' with most places expected to be dry.
The start of November has brought a significant drop in temperatures from the previous week, with many parts of England and Scotland experiencing overnight frosts and struggling to get into double figures during the daytime.
And that pattern of below-average temperatures is likely to continue for the rest of this month, with forecasters expecting that high pressure near Greenland will help to push colder air from the North towards the UK.
This week has already brought sub-zero temperatures of -2.5C (27.5F) at Hurn in Hampshire yesterday and -1.8C (28.8F) at Benson in Oxfordshire on Tuesday – and similar lows are set to follow. It comes after above-average temperatures last week that peaked at Chillingham in Northumberland on October 27, which got to 18.4C (65.1F).
It will therefore be very cold tomorrow night, with Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern saying: 'For Bonfire Night most places are looking dry. It will be cloudier for the North and the West with some north-western areas a few outbreaks of mainly light rain, but clear and chilly elsewhere so fine viewing conditions for any fireworks.'
This morning, early patches of mist will soon lift and clear – and it will then be chilly but mostly dry and bright with long spells of sunshine, although cloud cover will build across Northern Ireland and Scotland bringing drizzle.
There is a chance of showers for coastal areas and it will be a blustery day for all parts of Britain - before a mostly dry evening with clear spells, despite some outbreaks of rain spreading into North West Scotland.
Sub-zero temperatures are expected overnight into Friday
Overnight will then be dry for the UK with clear spells, although variable amounts of cloud will tend to build and sink southwards bringing some patchy light rain or drizzle, and patches of mist will also form.
Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said: 'A quieter day all round on Thursday with some sunshine, although it will be a chilly start. Still some showers in the forecast particularly along the coast but there will be fewer than the last few days. Expect a frost particularly across southern Scotland as well as northern England, perhaps even with some mist and fog patches to start the day. And just away from the city centre of Glasgow you could see a frost here, so a chilly start for Scotland.
'Showers continue for Northern Ireland particularly towards the north as well as the east running down the Irish Sea towards Devon as well as Cornwall.
'Inland though some clearer skies - a fine start to the morning on Thursday with some brighter skies, but showers continue with that brisk wind coming in from the North across eastern counties of England and they will continue through the morning into the afternoon.
'Inland it's going to be a dry day, a pleasant day - lots of sunshine, and we lose the shower risk across much of Scotland as well as more cloud just pushes in from the Far North West with some patchy rain arriving across the Outer Hebrides later.
A runner embraces the frosty weather yesterday during a jog by the River Cam in Grantchester, Cambridgeshire
Sunrise on a frosty November morning by the River Cam in Grantchester, Cambridgeshire, yesterday morning
'For the central belt of Scotland down towards northern England, east Wales, the Midlands, central and southern England, the best of the sunshine here - but showers will continue particularly where you see that wind along the coast through the afternoon.
'Temperatures struggling a little bit, around 8C, 9C, 10C, perhaps double figures further south.'
