Wrap up warm – parts of the UK are set to have their coldest ever early May bank holiday.

Last year’s early May bank holiday was the highest temperature on record, with Northolt recording 28.7C (83.6F) on 7 May.

But this year the long weekend has already seen hail and rain for London and the east coast on Saturday, with parts of the north shivering under a strong northerly wind and eastern parts reaching just 8C (46F).

It also comes just two weeks after the warmest Easter on record.

Overnight into Sunday, showers are expected to clear, leaving clear skies for much of the country.

However, the Met Office warned that overnight temperatures as low as -4 (24F) could cause widespread frost in Northern Ireland, Wales, southwest England and parts of Scotland.

Sunday is expected to be generally dry, chilly and sunny with temperatures in the south reaching 14C (57F) and just 8C (46F) in the north.

There could be some snow in Scotland and there will be lighter winds and isolated showers for much of the rest of the country.

Monday could also see early frosts and a chance of the lowest temperatures ever recorded for an early bank holiday Monday.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said: “Overnight we could see, particularly in Northern Ireland and Wales, record lows going into this bank holiday.

“They might overtake the coldest ever start to a May Day bank holiday.”

The lowest recorded temperatures for the Monday are -3.5C (25F) in Wales, -4.3C (24F) in Northern Ireland and -5.9C (21F) in the rest of the UK.

Meanwhile, Britons will also have to contend with travel disruption, with engineering work on the railways and increased traffic on the roads.

No trains will run to or from London Euston between Saturday and Monday and there are no trains between Bristol Parkway and Newport or between Shenfield and Southend Victoria.

Virgin Trains, which operates services on the west coast mainline, has warned passengers to “avoid travelling on these dates unless you absolutely have to”.

Some 13 million leisure car journeys are expected to be taken between Friday and Sunday, according to the RAC, making it the busiest early May bank holiday on the roads in three years.

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