Snow, sleet and gale force winds to hit east of Scotland

SNOW and sleet are expected to hit parts of the UK from tomorrow night as temperatures plummet and gale-force winds sweep in from the Arctic.

Weather forecasters have said the milder-than-normal temperatures of the last weeks will drop to below freezing in some areas, bringing snow to eastern areas of Scotland and the North Pennines by Friday evening.

High hills in England and Wales can also expect some snow to accumulate as two cold fronts sweep in from the Arctic over the day and head south. Most other areas can expect wintry showers and some sleet.

Paul Mott, forecaster at MeteoGroup, said: “Friday won’t be too bad a day and there will be sunny spells, but it will be chilly and breezy with showers that will turn to snow in some areas in Scotland in the evening.

“Another cold front on Friday night will bring outbreaks of snow and sleet across the UK, but the hills of Wales, Scotland and England will have the most accumulations.

“Saturday will also be cold but we will see an improving picture, but temperatures will stay around a maximum of 3C-4C (37.40F-39.2F) in most areas.

“It should continue to pick up a bit, but we may see some frost on Sunday and into Monday morning.”To read more about the winter weather, click here While the worst of Storm Barney may have passed, fresh gale-force winds will batter mostly northern areas again throughout the weekend, according to the Met Office.

A moderate weather warning has been issued for Northumberland where winds of up to 63mph are expected. According to the Beaufort Scale, this could typically result in uprooted trees and structural damage to buildings.

Similar warnings are also in place for County Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne over Friday and Saturday, where winds are expected to reach 47mph and 48mph respectively.

The Met Office has said this weekend will feel “noticeably colder” across all regions, with a lot of areas waking up to a “raw” Saturday morning.