UK weather: Met Office warns of freezing temperatures as mercury plunges to -6C after 60mph winds batter the coast

FORECASTERS have warned Brits need to prepare for another chilly night - with temperatures set to dip below zero again.

It comes after strong gusts of up to 60mph battered Cornwall, Devon and the Channel Islands overnight.

The Met Office said strong blustery winds - which would have hammered exposed spots - were set to start easing this morning.

And they said "winter is knocking on the door" as Altnaharra's temperature dropped to an icy -6.3C overnight.

The Met Office said this was the lowest temperature of Autumn so far, bringing sharp frosts in parts of Scotland.

And the forecasters said the chilly weather is going to start setting in.

Much of the country woke to single-figure temperatures this morning and will do all the weekend.

The Met said of this evening: "Showers will become increasingly confined to northern and western coasts leaving plenty of clear spells inland.

"This will make for a chilly night with patchy fog and frost developing."

Forecasters said this will mean a cold wake-up for Brits tomorrow.

They said: "A dry, bright and chilly start to the weekend. Sunshine turning increasingly hazy with cloud thickening from the west during the afternoon though staying dry for most. Feeling chilly."

Overnight the likes of London, Dover and Manchester will be sitting at around 6C, while Lincoln and Edinburgh is looking to be a chilly 4C.

But the mercury will dip even further tomorrow night.

Those living in Edinburgh will wake to a nippy -1C morning on Sunday, with the likes of Birmingham, Glasgow and Kendal feeling a chilly 1C.

The Met said of the second half of the weekend: "A chilly start to Sunday with fog for some. This clearing with outbreaks of rain pushing eastwards later."

And forecasters warned next week will be no better.

Monday and Tuesday will see Brits lashed with rain and blustery showers.

The Met Office said: "Remaining predominantly unsettled through this period with further showers or longer spells of rain for most of, if not all of the UK interspersed with some likely very brief drier interludes.

"Rainfall totals will tend to be higher across western areas of the UK, especially coasts and hills, although in general nothing exceptional for this time of year."

It comes after hail and thunder threatened to batter the country.

Met Office Meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer yesterday said this would mean a "chilly start to the weekend" - but then Brits would need to don their raincoats.

She added: "Low pressure is waiting in the wings to bring further wet and windy weather through the second half of the weekend."

The coldest temperature yesterday was Kinloss - which hit -1C.