Crisp winter sunshine marks the beginning of winter with temperatures set to plummet to -2C in the first week of December but forecasters warn it'll be wet and windy before Christmas
Rolling mist and fog was seen in some parts this morning before piercing winter sunshine cleared the skies Temperatures dropped to -1.7C in Scotland overnight while England and Wales will become colder this week Clear and crisp conditions expected to last for the first two weeks of the month before more unsettled weather
꽁꽁얼은 겨울 햇살!
겨울의 시작을 알리다.
영국 브리스톨 에이브론강의 클립튼 현수교의 안개 자욱한
아침 모습
By Jennifer Smith for MailOnline
Crisp winter sunshine marked the beginning of winter this morning after temperatures dropped to -1C in some parts of the country overnight.
The chillier conditions are due to last for the rest of the week, with England and Wales expected to get as cold as -2C as the winter weather sets in.
Clear skies are expected throughout most of the UK, with temperatures a few degrees lower than this time last year.
But forecasters warn the crisp, winter sunshine may come to an end before Christmas, with rain and wind expected as the month goes on.
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Mist rises beneath the Clifton suspension bridge over the River Avon in Bristol this morning as the country woke to crisp winter sunshine
Clear skies were seen later above the River Avon in Bristol as much of the country enjoyed bright, cold conditions on the first day of December
Earlier the bridge, which lies 76 metres above the River Avon in Bristol, was shrouded in misty cloud and fog but the skies later cleared
It was a bright early morning throughout the South West where mist spread under the Clifton Suspension bridge (left). The last of the autumn leaves fell in Clifton Down, Bristol (right) while commuters enjoyed a crisp walk to work
Elsewhere an amber sunrise lit up the morning skies as seen over the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire which were blanketed by light fog
The coldest temperatures last night were seen in Scotland, where -1.7C was recorded in Balmoral. England and Wales were, expectedly, milder, though chillier air lingered in western areas.
A change will be felt throughout the country today after a relatively warmer weekend, the Met Office said.
'There'll be a lot of crisp, winter sunshine for with Tuesday night into Wednesday morning expected to be the coldest at between -1 and -2C
'Particularly in the south east corner it'll feel pretty cold, temperatures will not get much higher than 7 or 8C and there'll be a lot of cloud around which will make it feel colder. The feel of the day will be much different,' said forecaster Helen Roberts. 'The bulk of England and Wales will be cloudy and not very warm.' Snow is expected in the Highlands, though it is too soon to predict whether or not the rest of the UK is on track for a white Christmas. 'Our detailed forecasts are only a week or so ahead. Generally there is snow forecast on the hills in Scotland this week but it is unlikely in England and Wales.' For the first two weeks of December however it is expected to be slightly colder than usual throughout the country. 'Next weekend onwards through until mid December temperatures will rise again to nearer to what is normal for this time of year, around about 7.2C. 'There's quite a lot of dry weather, it's generally more unsettled in Scotland and northern Ireland.
'Particularly in the south east corner it'll feel pretty cold, temperatures will not get much higher than 7 or 8C and there'll be a lot of cloud around which will make it feel colder. The feel of the day will be much different,' said forecaster Helen Roberts. 'The bulk of England and Wales will be cloudy and not very warm.' Snow is expected in the Highlands, though it is too soon to predict whether or not the rest of the UK is on track for a white Christmas. 'Our detailed forecasts are only a week or so ahead. Generally there is snow forecast on the hills in Scotland this week but it is unlikely in England and Wales.' For the first two weeks of December however it is expected to be slightly colder than usual throughout the country. 'Next weekend onwards through until mid December temperatures will rise again to nearer to what is normal for this time of year, around about 7.2C. 'There's quite a lot of dry weather, it's generally more unsettled in Scotland and northern Ireland.
Earlier the hills looked bleaker, with thicker fog rolling over trees and shrubs before piercing winter sunshine broke through the mist
Stunning orange skies over Edinburgh this morning where much of the east coast awoke to amber sunrises and colder conditions
An aircraft interrupts the skyline near Edinburgh Airport this morning. The weather will become more unsettled in Scotland in coming weeks
In Scotland stunning pink and amber skies were seen above Dundee as the sun rose following one of the coldest nights of the year
Similarly autumnal skies were seen in Edinburgh, with amber hues lighting up the winter sky in the Scottish capital for much of the morning
Sunrise over Edinburgh this morning captured after one of the coldest nights of the year. Temperatures dropped to -1.7C in Balmoral
Clear skies at dawn near Llys y Fran in Pembrokeshire this morning where winter sunshine is expected to last until next week
'For the latter part of the month it might be more unsettled with some wet and windy weather, temperatures will generally stay around average though with some colder spells at times.'
This week's weather is slightly colder than what was seen in 2013, when the average temperature for December in England was more than 9C.
But the unseasonably warm temperatures over the last few months made autumn one of the balmiest on record, and brought on the early arrival of a fall of lambs, according to one farmer.
David Coupland said he was convinced the unexpected birth of two sets of the animals had been encouraged by the warm autumn weather.
The farmer from County Durham welcomed the Suffolk Cross Oxford breed twins and one pure bred Oxford Down lamb last weekend, a month expected.
'The first set were born at 7am on Sunday morning and the other three were born at 3.30am on Monday. We're about a month early with the lambing - we didn't get our earliest lambs until the end of December last year.
'I don't know why it's happened, maybe it's down to the funny weather we've been having but I was quite amazed when I realised.
'It was a busy weekend for me as I was constantly checking on them but it's lovely to see the little lambs there.'
The unexpected arrival of a fall of lambs in County Durham convinced one farmer the balmier autumn weather had had an effect on lambing
The animals, welcomed by farmer Dave Coupland, arrived a month earlier than last year, to the surprise of those on the farm
The five new lambs join 37 sheep on the farm in County Durham. It is the first time the farmer has welcomed a fall in November
