The Met Office forecasts snow and gusty winds this weekend, during which temperatures will plunge because fierce gales will sweep the UK from the north and northwest
Temperatures across parts of the UK will be as cold as regions of Norway this weekend.
The mercury is set to drop suddenly because a fierce wind is sweeping across the country from the Arctic, which will cause the high pressure lingering over us for some time to subside.
Sunday will be the coldest day in the next sequence, with some parts of Aberdeenshire braced for -2C chills and areas across the Scottish Highlands prepared for a -1C freeze. It will be around 0C elsewhere throuughout Scotland and northern England on Sunday, forecasters at Ventusky say.
It means these large swathes of the UK will be colder than parts of Norway. Forecasters believe most regions in the country’s south and west, particularly along the Norwegian Sea coastline will see temperatures of between 2C and 6C on Sunday. Even further inland, it’ll be 1C, warmer than spots in Scotland and parts of Cumbria and Northumberland.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: “A notable early winter cold spell will arrive across the north from Sunday and will likely reach all parts of the UK by midweek. Temperatures will drop as a northerly airflow develops, bringing in colder Arctic air. This introduces the possibility of snow, initially over high ground in the north from Sunday, with gusty winds also a potential hazard.”
The weather service confirmed snow in the forecast earlier this week but now has more confidence flurries will fall, especially across higher ground in Scotland, like the Cairngorms. If the mercury gets cold enough, rain further south, across Cumbria and Yorkshire, will fall as snow on Saturday but early indications sugges the big drop in temperature will start on Sunday.
Ms Hicks added: “There is a lot of uncertainty in what might happen after Sunday, but there are a number of scenarios which could bring some more widespread rain, along with some hill snow and stronger winds. It is possible that there may be some more widespread snowfall across lower ground, but the chance of this for any given region is low at this stage. What we do know is that the whole of the UK is likely to experience a spell of several days of cold, potentially disruptive weather next week. Warnings for wintry hazards, including snow and ice, are possible, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest forecast.”