Last updated at 14:43, Friday, 11 January 2013

TEMPERATURES are expected to tumble by almost 20 degrees Celsius in Cumbria over the next few days.

An unseasonably mild start to the year has fooled nature into believing spring has arrived but a freezing forecast has been released by weather experts.

The Met Office reported top temperatures of 11 degrees in Cumbria on Tuesday and said the mercury would have climbed even higher over the previous weekend.

A spokeswoman said dramatic changes have already begun though.

“We are losing the south-westerly winds which saw the warm winds from the Atlantic and brought the milder weather,” the spokeswoman explained.

“There will be a return of night-time frosts and there will be snow at times as well.”

She said the fells will see the first of the snow on Saturday, but as a weather front sweeps south through the country, some parts of Cumbria will experience snow in the early part of next week.

The spokeswoman continued: “Temperatures by day will be lower than they have been: over the weekend and into next week they will probably not be more than 2 degrees during the day, and you are looking at -5 to -8 degrees at night in the countryside.”

First published at 14:41, Friday, 11 January 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk