POLAR EXPEDITION? NO... IT’S BRITAIN!
Met warning as temperatures plunge to -5C
FREEZING conditions will dominate much of the final working week before Christmas, with temperatures dipping as low as –5C (23F) this morning.
Snow can be expected at higher levels, with some parts of the country seeing the arrival of freezing fog on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The first of what is expected to be a rash of weather warnings is in force this morning, with forecasters warning overnight showers could freeze upon hitting very cold surfaces.
The Met Office have a yellow ‘be aware’ alert in place for much of southern Scotland, including the fringes of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The warning states: ‘Areas of rain and hill snow seem likely to affect many areas for a time on Sunday night, probably clearing by morning and allowing temperatures to dip more widely below zero.
‘Icy stretches may be encountered, especially on untreated surfaces, while the odd high level road may see a further 1-2 cm (up to an inch) of snow.’
The warning, which expires at 10.30 today, affects Central, Tayside and Fife, south west Scotland, Lothian and Borders as well as parts of Strathclyde.
The Winter Solstice occurs next Sunday, meaning this week will be the darkest it gets this winter. Many of the country’s schoolchildren begin their Christmas holidays on Thursday and Friday of this week, with some families heading off to the sun or to visit family and friends a few days early.
However, Matthew Box of the Met Office said that freezing fog is on the radar for tomorrow and Wednesday, which could affect flights.
He said: ‘The risk of freezing fog is not as widespread as first thought. It could become confined to more northerly areas of Scotland. But while there is no indication it will spread to the Central Belt, the possibility cannot be ruled out.
‘Glasgow can be prone to fog forming, so it’s a case of “watch this space” over the next 24 hours or so.’
Braemar in Aberdeenshire is expected to record the lowest temperature in the country this morning, at -5C (23F).
Towns and cities in the Central Belt could also get down to -1C or -2C (28-30F) with widespread frost. Clear skies tonight mean that we will wake to a frost on Tuesday morning again, however, cloud will quickly spread to most of the country.
As for the prospect of a White Christmas, Mr Box said: ‘There is a lot of uncertainty in the weather just now. The outlook for December 24 to the end of the month is for temperatures above the seasonal norm.’