Wintry worst forecast for Scotland

Published on Tuesday 3 March 2009 14:11

ENGLAND looked set to escape the worst of the wintry weather this week as heavy snow was forecast for Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland today.

Tony Conlan, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the "vast bulk of snow" was going to fall across northern parts of the UK, mainly Scotland and Northern Ireland, tonight and tomorrow.

The rest of the UK will be "changeable" for the next few days, with "some rain, some showers, but some drier periods in between", he said.

"There will be heavy snow over the higher ground, but I don't think it's going to be particularly hazardous," Mr Conlan said.

The wintry weather comes the day after a report found a lack of preparation and co-ordination hampered efforts to keep transport running in London during the heavy snows at the beginning of last month.

The report from the London Assembly Transport Committee questioned whether London Mayor Boris Johnson could have been informed of the transport problems earlier.

It said there did not appear to be any single person in charge of the response to the bad weather, as there would have been in the event of a major incident such as a terrorist attack.

But Mr Conlan said this week's bad weather would not be on the same scale.

He said most of Scotland would get some snow overnight tonight and tomorrow, with higher ground being most affected.

Temperatures are expected to range from about 6C in northern Scotland to about 10C in southern England, with "chilly" periods across the country tomorrow and Thursday.