South East gets first frost of the autumn

Frosty scene in Mote Park in Maidstone in KentImage source, Jet
Image caption,

The Friday frost in Mote Park in Kent was captured by BBC Weather Watcher Jet

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So far, October generally has brought us soggy and mild conditions.

Recent downpours were torrential and led to several flood warnings across East Sussex.

And afternoon temperatures have been consistently above the 15C average for this time of year.

But the weather has taken a sudden and noticeable shift and on Friday morning many of us found ourselves reaching for our warmer coats as we woke to a frosty start.

The crisp, cold air marked the arrival of something we have not felt in a while.

Arctic air has swept in, accompanied by a high pressure system.

The lowest temperature in south-east England overnight into Friday was -0.3°C at Charlwood, Surrey.

Temperatures also dipped below freezing at Goudhurst, Frittenden and East Malling in Kent.

Image source, StormChaserLiam
Image caption,

Frosty conditions are expected to continue until Sunday

So, if you’ve been waiting for that classic autumn chill now is the time to embrace the brisk arctic air.

Bundle up, enjoy long walks through crunchy, fallen leaves, and maybe even collect a few conkers along the way on Saturday and Sunday.

That said, the rapid swing back to milder air will keep things interesting, especially as temperatures are forecast to climb to nearly 20°C by Wednesday.

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