Temperatures are set to drop 5C below average later this week as a chilly blast of Arctic air sweeps into the region.

The change will be noticeable late on Thursday evening and into Friday, when temperatures will struggle to reach above 10C.

Forecasters have said the chill is due to a band of rain slipping south, with colder air following.

There is a risk the wintry conditions could fall as snow in hilly areas, while on higher ground there could be some sleet.

Frosty mornings and icy patches are likely over the weekend.

The chill is expected to settle in on Friday morning and will continue across the weekend until Sunday.

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Despite the chilly temperatures there will be long periods of sunshine, accompanied by the odd spot of rain.

However, there could also be some blustery winds and the chance of some hail across the weekend.

By next week temperatures are expected to become milder again due to a blast of air from the west.

Forecasters from The Weather Channel have said temperatures will be 5C below normal for this time of year.

A north-easterly wind will make it seem even chillier.

A spokesman for The Weather Channel said temperatures would fall to well below normal with snow at higher altitudes, and the risk of a wintry mix at lower levels.

An icy morning in Disley

The forecaster added that values would remain in single figures for most places on Friday and Saturday.

However, by Wednesday next week, deepening low pressure over the Atlantic is expected to introduce a warmer southerly wind in the west and a gradual return to normal temperatures.

Sophie Yeomans, meteorologist for the Met Office, said: ""By Friday it will brighten up and that is when we get the colder Northerly air coming down.

"We will have a few showers and it will be quite blustery. There is a small chance in hilly areas of snow, in Manchester it will more likely be rain."

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