Beast from the East to bite back as arctic blast to see temperatures plungeÂ

The cold snap, which will follow the relatively mild highs of 14C seen in Portsmouth this week, has been dubbed the 'Beast from the East' in reports. 

The name is a reference to the arctic chill that brought widespread snow and freezing temperatures to much of the country. 

With snow falling in Portsmouth in February and again in March. 

Now the Met Office are warning that temperatures are going to get much colder in the coming days. 

On its website, the forecaster wrote: '˜For much of next week it looks mostly cloudy with the best of the brighter spells in the west. Showers may affect eastern and some central areas, and these could turn wintry over hills.

'˜It will be cold, especially in the south, with this accentuated by the brisk wind. Night frosts are likely and could become widespread at times.

'˜Although many places should stay dry, some showers or even longer spells of rain could affect some southern and central areas, perhaps with hill snow.

'˜Similar conditions will probably continue into the following weekend and the last week of November although it could become more unsettled from the west or south.

'˜There's also a small chance that wintry showers may develop more widely across northern and eastern areas for a time.' 

Looking ahead into December, the Met Office are forecasting: '˜This period is likely to begin with a continuation of the mainly dry conditions, with variable cloud and some sunshine, once morning fog patches clear.

'˜However, there will be an increasing chance of some more unsettled interludes developing, with showers or longer spells of rain spreading to many areas at times.

'˜Temperatures are likely to be below average overall, with a greater incidence of frosts than usual and any milder interludes likely to be short lived.

'˜With more generally colder temperatures, there will be an increased chance of snow during spells of unsettled weather, especially for the north.'