UK weather: Bank Holiday ‘cool’ weekend will bring summer frost and empty beaches

Calmer but cooler weather is expected over the bank holiday weekend – with a chance of the coldest August temperatures ever.

Beaches are expected to be empty, with 10 to 18C daytime UK highs – 5C below average – from Saturday to Monday,

A summer frost is due in Scotland and possibly northern England, with temperatures potentially as low as -1C.

On Friday a yellow warning was in place until 8pm for parts of southern England, north-east England and South Wales alongside more rain.

Many parts of the country were still reeling from flooding caused by this week’s storms and torrential rainfall.

In Broxburn, West Lothian, “significant flooding” meant residents from 14 homes had to be rescued by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Jean Hendrie, 70, who had to leave her home, said: “One of my neighbours was flooded and the water came right up to her kitchen worktops, and there are cars that are written off.”

But the disruptive weather which has followed storms Ellen and Francis, leading to flooding and travel disruption, will ease into the weekend as a large area of high pressure builds across the UK.

Chief meteorologist at the Met Office, Frank Saunders, said: “We’ve seen a real mix of weather this August, with a heatwave earlier this month and in the past week we’ve had two named storms bringing very wet and windy weather across the country.

“With high pressure on the way this weekend, we’re going to end the month with much more settled weather, with plenty of late summer sunshine for many.

“It’ll be a dry weekend for most areas, too, though eastern areas can expect a few heavy showers on Saturday.”

He added: “It’ll feel quite cool despite the sunshine, as northerly winds bring below average temperatures for the time of year with highs of around 16 to 18 Celsius. At night it’ll feel really quite chilly, with temperatures dropping to single figures for most.”

The coldest daytime maximum temperature over the August Bank Holiday weekend since it was introduced in 1971 is 9.1C in 2011 at Cromdale, in the Scottish Highlands.

Scotland has already seen a night time temperature of -0.4C this week.

Signs of autumn have also begun to appear in gardens as much as two weeks earlier than usual, the Royal Horticultural Society said.

Telltale indicators including leaves changing colour and apples ready for harvest earlier than usual have been spotted at its four gardens.

RHS Chief Horticulturist Guy Barter said: “This summer’s mixed bag of weather phenomena has had some surprising results in our gardens…”