Arctic chill to put spring on hold

IT should be the season of sunshine and blooming flowers.

But spring is set to take a wintry turn, as Scotland is hit with an Arctic chill.

The Met Office has warned that a significant change in conditions will begin tomorrow night, with severe gales and snow even at low levels on Tuesday.

‘It’s going to come as a bit of a shock to the system,’ said Greg Wolverson of the weather forecaster’s Aberdeen branch.

‘Very cold air that began life up in the Arctic is about to be dragged across Scotland and the rest of the UK.’

He added: ‘Cold spells like this are not unheard of in late April. In fact, we went through a similar period this time last year, when temperatures fell below the average for the month.’

But he warned that people would feel a dramatic difference from what he described as ‘the benign spring-like conditions we have seen in recent weeks’.

Following winds of up to 55mph in the north tomorrow night and into Monday morning, overnight frosts are expected to set in.

Temperatures will drop to -2C or -3C, with daytime temperatures pegged back to 9C or 10C.

The Met Office has advised the public to keep aware of forecasts and warned that a return to wintry conditions could even cause some disruption on the roads.

In a bulletin, it said: ‘Next week, we’ll see a change to colder weather across the UK, with chilly days, frosty nights and snow for some.

‘An Arctic maritime air mass will spread southwards across the whole country early next week, which will come as quite a shock.

‘Spring has been dry and relatively warm so far, with the UK mean temperature for the first half of April 1.1C above the long-term average.’

Chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale said: ‘As well as a noticeable change in temperatures on Monday, the cold air will also bring wintry showers to many parts as it filters southwards across the UK.’

Across Scotland, showers will bring a mix of sleet, snow and hail, which could be seen at low levels and lead to some temporary accumulations overnight as temperatures drop.

Spells of sunshine will appear between showers, so any daytime sleet or snow is unlikely to settle for long.

The cold feel across the UK will be accentuated by the wind.