Brace yourselves for 8in of snow

BRITAIN is braced for eight inches of snow that could bring travel chaos to thousands of commuters on Monday morning.

Forecasters have warned that a bitter Arctic blast will sweep in from northern Europe late on Sunday with the potential to bring huge parts of the country to a standstill.

Scotland, upland areas of northern England and the Welsh mountains will bear the brunt of the weather, which could last well into next week.

Blizzards and icy roads will make driving conditions treacherous in snow-hit areas. The Met Office last night issued a yellow ‘be aware’ warning for severe weather across the north and west of Scotland on Sunday.

Low lying areas may get two inches of snow and many councils across Britain are already sending the gritting lorries out as temperatures plunge.

Chief forecaster Helen Chivers said icy winds from Scandinavia and the Baltic region will turn conditions frostier from Sunday.

She said: ‘It will start in the north and gradually move across the UK with up to 20cm (8in) of snow above 400 metres and 5cm (2in) of snow lower down.’

She added: ‘Low ground can also expect some wintry showers. There is quite a big change on the way and it is going to stay very cold at least until Wednesday.’ Last night the Met Office said it could fall to -10C in exposed areas of the Scottish Highlands.

Weather Channel forecaster Leon Brown said the South will also be gripped by a high wind chill as the Arctic winds send temperatures below zero. It comes only a day after the Met Office said Britain was on track to record its warmest year since 1659.