Met Office Names 6 Areas Facing Snow as UK Cold Snap Bites
The Met Office has named six areas of northern Scotland where snow could fall in the early hours of Friday. Temperatures may drop below -5C, and the UK Health Security Agency has issued its first cold health alert of the season for north-west England and the West Midlands.
The Met Office has named six areas of northern Scotland where snow could fall in the early hours of Friday, as a cold snap grips much of the UK. A forecast map from the national weather service shows Strathan and Loch Glascarnoch among the places likely to see snowfall.
The snow is expected to stay on high ground. The Met Office said it does not expect widespread disruption at lower levels, and no weather warnings are currently in place for this week.
Coldest temperatures of the season
Paddy Manning, a Met Office spokesman, said Thursday and Friday could bring "some of the coldest temperatures of the season so far". The lowest readings are forecast for rural areas of north-west and southern England, the Midlands, southern Scotland, and south-west and central Wales.
Manning said temperatures could fall below -5C in what he called this winter's "first pretty significant cold snap". He said the drop would be brief, with temperatures climbing again over the weekend.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued its first cold health alert of the season. The yellow warning covers north-west England and the West Midlands and stays in place until midday on Saturday.
What the forecast says for Scotland
On Thursday, the Met Office said cold Arctic air had moved south across the UK, with a "brisk northerly wind making it feel particularly chilly". Northern Scotland has the greatest chance of snow, it said, with wintry showers across northern and eastern Scotland and the Northern Isles.
Snow is most likely above a few hundred metres. Temporary accumulations could occur as low as 200-300 metres, and around 2-5 cm could settle above 400 metres. Showers across the far north and northeast will be frequent and blustery at times.
Manning said snow would likely be limited to hilltops in the Scottish Highlands. Most places can expect frost rather than significant snowfall, the Met Office said.
The forecaster's outlook for Friday is for plenty of autumnal sunshine across England and Wales. Northern Ireland will be cloudier, and showers will move into northwest Scotland. Overnight, it will stay cold with widespread frost.
The cold comes after the Met Office warned last week of disturbances to the stratospheric polar vortex, a band of winds high above the Arctic. Forecasters said there were signs that a sudden stratospheric warming was "developing". Such an event can raise the likelihood of a long, dry, cold spell in Britain.
With cold air staying in place, the risk of snow continues across parts of northern Scotland through the weekend, the Met Office said.
