London weather: What is an Arctic blast and when is it coming?

The Met Office has warned that an “Arctic blast” could be heading to the UK this week, with temperatures set to drop in London.

Unseasonably chilly weather is set to be felt on the back of a wet weekend in the capital, which saw a yellow warning for rain issued.

Dozens of flights have been cancelled at London Gatwick, Heathrow, and City Airport as a result.

The term “Arctic blast” is unfamiliar for September but has been used to describe what could be in store for the country this week.

Here is what it all means.

What is an Arctic blast?

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said on Sunday that the cold air will be moving south to the UK, which will bring down local temperatures.

He was quoted on Sunday as saying: “As we go through into Tuesday and Wednesday and beyond, we will start to see even cooler air begin to move in from the Arctic.

“Our first autumn chill of the season is coming our way into the middle part of the week. It will bring temperatures around the mid-teens by day and by night, some of us will be falling into the low and mid single figures.”

What is the London and UK weather this week?

The BBC weather forecast for London has suggested there will be light cloud and a moderate breeze on Monday, with temperatures between 10°C and 17°C.

But the colder temperatures will be felt from Tuesday onwards and into Wednesday, when there is expected to be rain across both days.

London temperatures at night are likely to fall to as low as 7°C on Wednesday night and then 5°C overnight on Thursday.

A Met Office statement read: “We’re likely to see fresher, cooler temperatures sweeping across the UK, becoming notably cool in the north by mid-week.

“Conditions look to remain generally unsettled during next week, with showers or longer spells of rain at times for most regions, accompanied by blustery winds.”