Met Office map reveals where temperatures will plunge across UK tonight – with 80 areas put on alert for flooding

A MET Office map has revealed where temperatures will plunge across the country overnight with 80 areas put on alert for flooding.

Brits are braced for more wintry weather after heavy rain and strong winds left the UK feeling the chill earlier this month.

The Environment Agency still has 18 flood warnings in place across England, mostly for the River Severn and River Derwent with 62 flood alerts also active.

The overnight UK minimum on Tuesday was -11C at Tyndrum in Stirling, while -5C was recorded in Scottish cities including Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Further south, England’s lowest temperature this morning was -2.9C in Keswick, Cumbria - and the weather overnight shows no let up.

Temperatures are expected to fall to -4C in Scottish towns and cities, while Wales will drop to 1C and South East England will fall to 4C. 

Conditions in the early hours will be mostly cloudy across England and Wales with some light drizzle in the East, while clear spells and a frost will develop in some areas.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: "For the vast majority it's a dry night, but through the early hours thickening cloud over eastern parts is likely to bring some rain and drizzle back in here.

"Temperatures again, with the cloud, holding up above freezing. Where it's clear, well below freezing across Scotland, -3C (27F) to -4C (25F). That's towns and cities - some sheltered glens much, much lower than that.

"So again, a fairly hard frost and again some fog around which will again in parts of South West Scotland last for most of the day."

Conditions will remain cloudy today with patchy drizzle, mostly in the East – while low cloud will lead to hill fog in places.

Brighter skies will be seen in the West and across much of Scotland.

Mr Deakin said of Thursday: "Much of Scotland away from the fog will be dry and sunny. Perhaps a bit cloudier for Northern Ireland, thicker cloud for England and Wales.

"That cloud is going to be at times producing rain and drizzle - so a dank, dreary, pretty dismal kind of day for a quite a good chunk of England.

"Some of that rain and drizzle into parts of Wales at times too.

"Much of the South I suspect will be dry but still gloomy and still cold.";

Temperatures on Thursday are expected to get up to 8C in England, 6C in Wales, 5C in Northern Ireland, 1C in the Highlands and 4C in the rest of Scotland.

The Met Office expects high pressure to continue to dominate from Friday, bringing some sunshine and overnight frost and fog.

However, patchy rain will start to arrive across the North during the weekend as temperatures begin to climb again.

It comes after Storm Darragh wreaked havoc and claimed lives across the country.

The final homes without power are set to be reconnected as deluged residents clean up following the deadly 92mph storm.

The Met Office long-range forecast states that, between December 14 to 23, the country is likely to only see wind and rain, with the potential for some "wintry" showers amid an "unsettled regime".

The forecast states: "High pressure will likely weaken into the weekend, allowing occasional bands of rain to make progress southeastwards across parts of the UK.

"While there may be an attempt for high pressure to rebuild at times, especially in the south, the more likely scenario is for an unsettled regime to dominate for much of next week, with occasional spells of rain followed by blustery showers, these most frequent and perhaps wintry at times in the northwest.

"It may be quite windy at times too, especially towards the north, while southern areas have a greater chance of some lengthier drier and perhaps more settled spells, although even here it may still be rather breezy.

"Temperatures will vary around average, with oscillations between colder and milder interludes."