UK weather: Second of three storms to hit Britain in run up to Halloween bringing tropical winds and torrential rain

But Continental winds will push thermometers at the end of the week to a scarily sultry 16C across the south.

Elsewhere further north, chilly mornings promise harsh frosts, a dusting of mountain snow and fog.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “Temperatures on Thursday morning will be widely down into single figures and a frost likely in rural areas, and there could be some fog around where winds are light.

“A weather system continues northwards, and we do need to watch this, so it will be a breezy Halloween.

“But with the wind coming round from the south will bring milder air, so with the sunshine, we could see highs of 15C or 16C.”

Britain’s weather is getting an extra shiver from the jet stream as it charges closer in from the Atlantic.

A barrage of unsettled weather fronts will bring bouts of rain with Friday’s hammering swiftly followed by another after the weekend.

Deakin said: “The jet stream is close to the UK and reasonably active, and that will push weather systems and weather fronts towards the UK.

“Later in the week, an intense area of low pressure looks likely to move to the west of Ireland, with lots of isobars and weather fronts brining wet and windy weather through.

“There is a system to the southwest, and it is intensifying well away from the UK, but it will bring some wet and windy weather.”

Britain’s weather this week will be a stop-start affair hurling bouts of wind and rain broken by brief interludes.

Swirling in the Atlantic are three low-pressure systems en route to the UK in a week-long conveyor belt attack.

Trick or treaters can expect a wet and windy time on Friday night before next week ushers the next battering.

Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, and co-author of ‘Surviving Extreme Weather’, said: “There are three systems which are likely to affect the UK weather this week, with the most worrying being after the weekend.

“Overall, it is going to be unsettled, mainly to the north and the west, which will get the heaviest rain and strongest winds.

“However, after chilly mornings, temperatures will be on the rise as winds come in from the south.

“This week really is going to be a watching brief to see how these things come off.”
As Britons dig out their raincoats for a spookily wet Halloween, White Christmas forecasts have started doing the rounds.

With two months to go, bookmaker Coral have started slashing the odds on a festive flurry.

Spokesman John Hill said: “After an early cold snap, punters have been rushing in to back a White Christmas this year.

“We now make it odds-on for snow to fall on Christmas Day this year.”