The North East is in for another freezing night as the January cold snap continues, with temperatures plunging following a very cold week for the region.
The latest forecast from the Met Office says that a dry and clear night is in store from Friday, January 10 into Saturday, January 11, with another widespread frost and freezing fog patches developing across the North East. The mercury will drop below freezing in most parts of the region overnight, ahead of a chilly weekend that will see anyone with outdoor plans needing to wrap up warm.
Temperature maps from the Met Office show that the coldest forecast temperature tonight is expected in the Stanhope area of County Durham, where it is expected to fall to a biting -7°C in the early hours of Saturday. The inland areas of County Durham and Northumberland are forecast to see the lowest temperatures overall, with Consett and Rochester dropping to -5°C, while Newcastle and Sunderland will see -1°C.
Weather maps turn blue in tonight’s forecast as temperatures plummet once again
(Image: Met Office)
However, it could feel even colder than this due to icy winds, with the Met Office warning that the lows of -1°C in Newcastle will feel more like -4°C. A number of venues have been closed and events cancelled across the North East as icy conditions persist following heavy snow last weekend.
It follows the UK recording its coldest night of this winter so far yesterday, with overnight temperatures falling to minus 14.4°C in Altanharra, northern Scotland, and minus 14.5°C on Friday morning, according to the Met Office, which is expected to be beaten tonight. However, forecasters have said there will be “the start of a change to our weather” to look forward to from the weekend.
Temperatures in the North East are expected to climb from highs of just 4°C on Sunday to 10°C by Monday, with highs in double figures forecast for much of the coming week. The early look ahead predicts that Monday will be mainly dry with sunny spells, although windy conditions will make it continue to feel chilly, while Tuesday will feel milder on a cloudy and mostly dry day.