Snow forecast for Scotland as Arctic blast brings 'unseasonably cold' 1C conditions and frost

Overnight temperatures will tumble and Friday is likely to be the coldest morning, the Met Office predicts.

Cold Arctic air is arriving over the next few days leading to below average temperatures and a chance of snow on the highest peaks in Scotland.

The Met Office said temperatures were expected to plummet to feel like as low as 3C in Edinburgh, 2C in Aberdeen and 1C in Biggar in the early hours of Friday morning.

Met Office spokesman Johnathan Vautrey said temperatures for most of the week will be 4C to 6C below average.

“Many of us will see temperatures in the mid-teens – around 13C-14C – whereas normally at this time of year it would be at least 16C-18C, if not closer towards 19-20C in the far south east, places like London,” Mr Vautrey said.

But temperatures will feel even colder and “more like single figures” for a lot of places due to strong winds.

The forecaster said Thursday into Friday is likely to be the coldest night of the week, as temperatures in rural areas could drop below freezing.

“We could see some patchy frost developing in rural areas across all nations of the UK, particularly Scotland,” Mr Vautrey said.

“For people waking up on Friday morning, it could be quite a shock to the system as they’re walking out of the door. There is a small chance of some snow falling over the highest mountains of Scotland, but you’ll have to hike quite a way before you see any snow.”

The Met Office said the cold spell is not expected to last too long and temperatures will start to climb back up towards average by the weekend.