London and south east are set to escape the worst of the early wintry weather - but you can still expect to get cold and wet.

Heavy rain is expected to sweep in as the week goes on, with gusty northerly winds bringing chilly temperatures of 3C.

Temperatures across Britain have plummeted with wintry conditions gripping the north.

Much of Scotland and Wales experienced a sub-zero freeze and icy winds on Sunday night (November 6) with a - 4.7C temperature recorded in County Down, Northern Ireland.

Snowfall up to 15cm (6ins) deep is threatening to bring travel chaos to Scotland and northern England while gales of up to 50mph are developing in the south west on Wednesday before moving up the Channel.

Met Office forecaster Emma Sillitoe said: "We have had a few wintry showers but this is the first event where more people are going to be affected.

"There is a frontal system moving in from the west meeting the quite cold weather we have been having over the last few days.”

This year has been one of the hottest on record since 1880.

This abnormal weather is in part due to the latest El Niño ocean cycle in the Pacific. The latest El Niño is the strongest in nearly two decades and is one of the strongest on record, the Met has confirmed.