WEATHER: Are South Yorkshire and Derbyshire headed for an ‘arctic plunge’?

South Yorkshire and Derbyshire have been enjoying plenty of sunshine this week – but are national reports of an ‘Arctic plunge’ accurate?
Weather forecastWeather forecast
Weather forecast

Reports reveal that an icy blast of air is heading across the UK to leave us all shivering over the coming days. What has been dubbed an ‘Arctic plunge’ could even bring snow in places.

But don’t head for the thermals just yet, as Met Office forecasters reveal a different picture for our region.

The organisation says polar winds are set to cause temperatures to dip ahead of the weekend, but only to the average for this time of year.

Here’s the Met Office forecast for the coming days for Yorkshire and the Humber:

Today:

Evening sunshine for many but mist and low cloud will creep back in from the east, giving fog in places by morning. Quite chilly again inland under clearer skies. Minimum Temperature 2C.

Thursday:

A grey start with fog in places, but brightening up to warm, sunny spells for most. Cooler near some coasts, where mist may linger for a time. Maximum Temperature 19C.

Friday to Sunday:

Friday, a bright start but increasingly cloudy, showers possible later. Weekend, bright spells, especially Saturday, but often cloudy with rain or showers becoming heavy and thundery, perhaps persistent on Sunday.

Here is the forecast for the East Midlands, which includes Derbyshire:

Today:

Evening sunshine for many but mist and low cloud will creep back in from the east, giving fog in places by morning. Quite chilly again where skies are clearer for longer. Minimum Temperature 4C.

Thursday:

A grey start with fog in places, but brightening up to sunny spells for most by afternoon and feeling warm in lighter winds. Cooler near coasts, where mist may linger. Maximum Temperature 16C.

Friday to Sunday:

Friday, a bright start but increasingly cloudy with showers possible later. Weekend, bright spells but often cloudy with rain or showers, some heavy and thundery, perhaps quite persistent on Sunday.