Scotland facing snow and icy gales

SCOTLAND will be hit by wintery weather with two inches of snow forecast for Aberdeenshire and the Highlands on Tuesday.

Arctic gales will send temperatures plunging to single-figure daytime peaks in a ten-day cold snap.

After a showery weekend with 15C temperatures, the Met Office warned freezing polar air will be sucked south by low pressure near Greenland. Just two weeks, ago, Scotland basked in 26C sunshine in an Indian summer.

Government weathermen said the mercury will tumble to daytime maximums of just 9C across the whole country on Tuesday and just 7C in most places from Wednesday. Fierce northerly winds – gale-force in the west – will make temperatures feel much colder due to windchill.

Heavy rain and sleet will add to the misery, with nights dropping below freezing and the first substantial frosts expected in sheltered areas. Below average temperatures are expected to remain until the middle of next week.

Positive Weather Solutions senior forecaster Jonathan Powell said: “Scotland will have a strong taste of winter next week, with two inches of snow expected.

“It will be noticeably cold compared to recent days, with frost in sheltered spots and nights at or just below-freezing.”

The Met Office forecast said: “Bands of rain or showers, occasionally heavy, will sweep south-east next week, bringing much colder conditions to all parts.

“The showers will fall as snow on the mountains of Scotland and possibly to low levels in the north-east of the UK.

“Snow showers are also expected over higher ground in the north-west, and occasionally as far south as Snowdonia and the Pennines.”

Forecaster Brian Gaze of The Weather Outlook said: “Night temperatures will be down next week and Scotland is arriving at the central heating season.”

Weathermen say temperatures will continue to plunge in November, with warnings of another big freeze and heavy snow this winter.