Scotland Records Coldest Early Winter Night Since 1998

Scotland has experienced its lowest early winter temperatures since 1998, as snow and ice covered parts of the country overnight. Temperatures below -10C were registered in some areas of northern Scotland, including Braemar in Aberdeenshire, which reached a low of -11.2C. A temperature of -10.9C or colder had not been recorded on or before November 19 since 1998. Elsewhere in Aberdeenshire, a Stagecoach bus overturned in icy road conditions in the New Leeds area. There were no injuries. Several yellow warnings for snow and ice are active for northern Scotland and along the west coast, as well as for much of Northern Ireland, Wales, and parts of England. Tulloch Bridge near Fort William in the Highlands also registered -10.7C. Scotland had not seen a temperature below -10C in November since 2016. Only a few schools across Scotland were closed, including four rural schools in Shetland, one in Orkney, and one primary school along with three nurseries across the Highlands. In Aberdeenshire, Peterhead Academy was closing early due to anticipated conditions. Road conditions in the area were poor; a car was observed on its side in a field off the A952. Forecasters described these conditions as the initial taste of winter, and stated that temperatures across the UK were expected to be lower than the mid-November average. Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice in northern Scotland and down the west coast are set to expire at 10:00 on Wednesday. This implies that some pavements and cycle paths could become impassable, and there is a slight risk of travel delays with stranded vehicles, as well as potential cancellations for train and air travel. Meanwhile, the Scottish Avalanche Information Service has announced that its new season of forecasts for six mountain areas will commence on 12 December. BBC Weather indicates that forecasting snow is challenging at lower elevations, particularly in mid-November when the ground and surrounding seas remain relatively warm compared to midwinter. By the upcoming weekend, forecasters anticipate that the cold air will be replaced by milder south-westerly winds, potentially bringing in wet and very windy weather. As the wetter weather advances northwards, a risk of some snow persists before it quickly thaws. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.