Snow and freezing temperatures are set to be a thing of the past in Scotland next week as warmer air is set to boost the mercury into the middle figures. Every day so far in January has been marred by a Met Office warning somewhere in the country, except for yesterday and Sunday.
And now Atlantic air is set to replace the Arctic breeze, meaning it may be time to ditch the hats and gloves for the first time in 2025. It will be a huge temperature swing as it will go from -19C in Altnaharra in the Highlands to potentially 12C in the Central Belt, with Glasgow and Edinburgh set to warm up.
The coldest January temperature for 15 years was recorded on Saturday, but the Met Office is suggesting a high of 12C to 13C next week, which would outshine some major cities including Paris, Rome and Madrid. The weather may feel particularly balmy due to the weeks of deep freeze suffered by Scots.
Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: “It’s a really big swing . Warmer air is coming into Scotland from the Atlantic, producing a big contrast to what has been seen recently. Even on Sunday morning, Kinbrace in Sutherland was down to -13.9C. But going forward, we are about to see a much milder Atlantic influence over the north of the UK.”
READ MORE: Exact date weather in Scotland will get warmer as ‘pleasant’ temperatures predicted after weeks of big freeze
It will be a sensational comeback for warm weather, with a 32C swing predicted in just two days. Mr Dewhurst added: “By Monday morning, I expect somewhere in Scotland will see 9C or 10C and by day, something like 12C or 13C is possible up in the Moray Firth. The south of the UK will remain under the influence of high pressure sitting over the English Channel, so it’s not tapping into the warmer air from the Atlantic.”
But its not all good news on the weather front, with heavy rain also forecast to join the milder weather, and a brisk wind is also heading for the West Coast. This could affect travel with CalMac warning about potential disruptions if the wind hits high speeds.
Heavy snow caused travel disruption this week
(Image: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Schools are likely to return on Monday after pupils in the Highlands, Moray, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire enjoyed some snow days last week as heavy flurries caused transport chaos and school closures. But warnings have been released about the sudden thaw potentially causing floods.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has imposed eight flood alerts covering Aberdeenshire, Caithness and Sutherland, Tayside, Skye and Lochaber, Argyll and Bute, Easter Ross and the Great Glen and the Findhorn and Speyside areas. It claims that “rapidly” melting snow could combine with heavy rain to create flooding risks on roads and railways.
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It comes as Royal Mail was forced to apologise after snow and ice affected deliveries in the north and north-east of the country. In a statement, they said: “Following the Met Office weather warnings from Monday January 6, 2025, snow and ice have caused severe disruption to mail collection and distribution services across some parts of the UK.
“The majority of services are running as usual, but in some areas, there is disruption to deliveries and collections – including Post Offices and post boxes. Whilst we’re working hard to maintain and recover our services, where it is safe to do so, there may be some ongoing disruption and delays to deliveries.”
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