Britain's calm autumn weather could take a wintry turn this weekend with chilly winds and plunging temperatures and even the possibility of snow.
Forecasters say temperatures will take a tumble over the next few days with even the risk of a flurry of sleet or snow over high ground.
Overnight temperatures in Scotland and the north will dip to low single figures with lows close to freezing in parts.
Forecasters warn the current calm and settled weather is about to come to an end as wind and rain arrives at the end of the week.
They blame low pressure which until now has been held at bay by high pressure wedged over Scandinavia swinging in from the Atlantic.
As temperatures start to nudge freezing the odd wintry flurry over high ground in the north is not out of the question.
Exacta Weather's James Madden said: "A quiet weather picture through the start of this week has been due to high pressure anchored across our shores.
"A more unsettled spell of weather later in the week will coincide with some chilly easterly and north-easterly winds potentially bringing wintry showers across higher ground in parts of the north at times this weekend and into next week."
The good news is it is likely to be a brief chilly interlude with Britain's weather likely to warm up again later this month, he added.
He said: "A very topsy-turvy weather pattern will see a tussle between cooler and warmer weather taking place across our shores throughout the remainder of this month."
Britain has enjoyed a relatively benign period of weather over the past 10 days with temperatures around normal for the time of year.
Stable conditions have largely been due to a huge area of high pressure over Scandinavia and northern Europe holding back Atlantic weather systems.
Experts warn change is afoot this weekend with things turning more unsettled across the country.
Netweather forecaster Matt Hugo said: "As we progress towards Friday and into the start of the weekend low pressure is expected to develop more significantly either to the south or south-west of the UK.
"As a result many areas will become increasingly overcast through Friday and into the start of the weekend with a mixture of showers and longer spells of rain moving north and west across the UK with the first significant rainfall accumulations likely in quite a long time for some areas.
"Despite a slight rise in temperature to end the working week and start the weekend, the combination of increasingly overcast and wet conditions, along with a moderate or fresh, perhaps strong south or southeasterly wind will maintain quite chilly conditions.
"Despite the uncertainties over the details confidence is high though to suggest a far more unsettled period of weather will develop."
The Met Office said things will turn wetter by Saturday as southwesterly winds start to come in from the Atlantic.
Spokesman Grahame Madge said: "We expect things to remain in an easterly flow until the weekend when we have increasing confidence that the situation will change.
"By Saturday we will see more of an influence from the Atlantic with rain pushing in from the southwest, this could arrive as early as Friday."
WeatherOnline forecaster John Ejdowski said: "High pressure to the north east of the country will keep the weather mostly unchanged for much of this week.
"A chilly east to north east wind will bring in cloud and showers at times, these mostly across eastern areas.
"Later in the week a deeper area of low pressure may herald in a more unsettled weather pattern with heavier rain possible by the weekend.
"Overall temperatures will be below normal."
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