Scotland set for snowfall as wintry chill arrives

The first significant snowfall of the season is expected to hit parts of Scotland overnight on Sunday as forecasters predict a stormy week ahead.

A few centimetres of snow is set to fall just north of Glasgow and Edinburgh, bringing warnings of possible travel misery in the Monday morning rush hour.

Further flurries of snow could hit over the following days, forecasters predict, in a wet and windy week, with gusts approaching 70mph in north-west England.

While temperatures dropped to a chilly -5C on Saturday night, it is not expected to dip below freezing across Scotland on Sunday night.

Mark Wilson, a Met Office forecaster, said: “Lows down to -4C are forecast on Sunday morning and Monday morning, coldest in Scotland.

“Snow could fall in northern England and Scotland on higher ground overnight into Monday and Tuesday.”

While the snow could raise hopes of a white Christmas this year, experts say it is too early to tell.

Gusts close to 70mph in England’s north-west and 60mph in the south are forecast for Wednesday night, with the Isle of Man bearing the brunt of the stormiest gusts in the Irish Sea.

Most of Britain will enjoy unseasonably mild temperatures of 11-13C during the week, but northern Scotland is expected to shiver under colder Arctic air.

Mark Stephens-Row, a senior meteorologist at the Weather Company, said the mild midweek weather would be replaced by another cold snap by Friday – just in time for the weekend.

He added: “It’s unfortunate timing with the pattern of cold spells affecting the fourth weekend in a row.”

The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: “It’s the curse of Britain’s early winter hitting weekends. There are low temperatures just when people would like to enjoy a walk admiring autumn colours.”