Brits are set for heavy snow and ice this morning ahead of an Arctic blast next week that could see temperatures dive to -7C.
As the country recovers from a battering by Storm Otto on Friday, where gusts reached 83mph in Scotland, there is now a warning from the Met Office for snow and ice.
The alert that runs until 9am on Saturday covers central and northern Scotland, where people are warned of possible travel disruption.
It states: “Ice and snow may lead to some travel disruption across parts of Scotland on Saturday morning, mostly on high level routes.”
People are advised: “Some higher level roads and railways are likely to be affected, leading to longer journeys by car, bus, and train.
“Icy patches are possible on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths. Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.”
Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said: "Although Otto is out of the way, there is another weather system moving in, this one nowhere near as potent but it is bringing wet weather on Friday evening across Northern Ireland and spreading into Scotland hitting colder air here.
"It’s going to cause some heavy hill snow for a time. We have a Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice to the north of the central belt and over the higher routes here,. Some pretty grim travelling conditions as we see a few centimetres of snow building up.
"It will be over hills, though, at lower levels we are expected to see a little but not expected to cause too many issues at sea level. It could also turn icy though as temperatures fall away close to freezing, certainly some spots hitting zero in the countryside.”
But while it is cold in the north, the milder temperatures of the past few days in the south will continue over the weekend with the mercury in the mid-teens.
That though changes midway through next week, when there are expected to be widespread subzero temperatures across the country.
"It looks as though there are some changes on the way from the middle of next week that high pressure begins to migrate towards the southwest or even the west of the UK and that would allow for some of the weather fronts in the north to topple their way southwards,” said Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern.
“With winds coming from the northwest from the middle of the week that would allow as well as conditions turning fairly showery, it would allow lower temperatures, so after a mild start a temperature trend downwards.”
Maps from WXCharts show temperatures could drop to -7C and 15cm of snow could fall in Scotland, while there will be widespread freezing conditions.
UK five-day weather forecast
Today:
Very mild in the south, with rain or drizzle slowly clearing, leaving sunny intervals. Cloudier across Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and northern England with occasional rain and also hill snow in north. Sunny spells and isolated showers far north.
Tonight:
Rain and hill snow over Scotland and northeast England clearing, with a frost in places in the north. Mostly dry with clear intervals in south. Rain in northwest later.
Sunday:
Dry and very mild with sunny spells across central and southern areas. Cloudier in the north with rain for far north and northwest, where becoming windy with gales in places.
Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:
Mild and cloudy Monday and at first Tuesday; rain or drizzle for some western areas. A band of rain will clear southeast later Tuesday/early Wednesday. Blustery, wintry showers follow.
