The Arctic blast could send temperatures plummeting down to -5C over the weekend, blanketing areas of Britain with snow and leaving thousands without heating for a week. This is after storm Arwen decimated electricity lines throughout the country.
According to The Met Office, there will be a sudden snowstorm in Scotland this morning. Eastern parts of Scotland are expected to get 9 cm of white tomorrow.
Eastern parts of Scotland are predicted to have highs of 2C today while western Scotland could reach 4C – before temperatures fall as low as -5C at the weekend. WXcharts.com has shared weather maps that suggest even 12cm could be falling early next week.
Steven Keates (Media Advisor, Marine Meteorologist, Met Office) said, “It’s quite typical early December weather in the next few Days. The weather is generally cold with some snow.
“Snowfall is most likely to be observed on higher ground and will not cause any problems.”
He said that although we don’t expect any problems for our morning commute, it is possible to encounter some sleet and/or snow during the journey across East Anglia/SE England. It is possible to see some snow this morning in central/eastern England.
“Some snow on the mountains north of the storms, possibly as far south as Wales from Saturday’s showers.
After the devastation caused by Storm Arwen, thousands remain without electricity. The Army was deployed to assist them.
Around 130 troops were deployed to conduct door-todoor checks in northern Scotland. This is where around 1,600 Southern Electricity Networks and Scottish customers were still without electricity at 7am on Friday.

In freezing conditions, Walkers traverse a snow-covered field near Buxton, Derbyshire.

Today is likely to bring more snow to Scotland, before it moves towards the South East. Rain is forecast for northern parts. Highs in Scotland’s eastern regions are expected to reach 35.6F, while the western parts could see 4C (39.2F). There may be 3C (37.3F) or 4C in England on Thursday with sunny spells, then cloudy later. On Saturday, a band of rain will move towards the South East. Then it will be sunny with some wintry showers to the West. After early wintry showers along the coast, there will be plenty of sunshine Sunday.

A man digs out a car from snow in High Green in the Yorkshire Dales in the aftermath of Storm Arwen

Marines from 45 Commando are seen conducting welfare checks in Lumphanan, Scotland
According to the Met, there will be snow in hills over this weekend. This will continue into next week.
For those who wish for white Christmas, there are chances that their Christmas wishes will come true. Coral Bookmakers said that there were a 67% chance of snowfall in Britain this Christmas Day.
According to the Met Office, weather will likely become less stable around Christmas and New Year. There is also a greater chance for overnight fog and frost during clearer periods.
Durham County Council announced that 100 soldiers will be stationed in Weardale south of the border to support local communities.
Northern Powergrid was the North East and Yorkshire’s electricity distribution network operator. On Thursday evening, 6,000 customers were without power. But, power is back to 234,000.
Aberdeenshire Council’s chief executive, Jim Savage said that SSEN had told him they hoped to reduce the number of customers without power to 1000 on Friday. However, some might not be connected until the weekend.
BBC Breakfast, he said that it had been a difficult week for all families in Aberdeenshire. The communities have shown incredible support and assistance to each other as they work together to help people as fast as possible.
He stated that SSEN has sent hundreds of staff on the ground to go through the various lines and fix and repair as necessary. In the meantime, other services ensure safety and provide what the community needs in terms of food, heat, support, and accommodation.
“I think that the truly unfortunate thing is that there will still be people off into Saturday, so we ramp up support and continue to do what we can to help people through this extended period when the national infrastructure has gone down.


Steven Keates (Media Advisor, Marine Meteorologist, Met Office) said, “It’s quite typical early December weather in the next few Days. The weather is generally cold with some snow. The snowfall is usually seen on the higher ground, and should not cause too much trouble.

After the bus was stranded in the icy roads near Stonehaven (Abershire), a tractor tried to assist the driver.

Energy Networks Association published this photo of a power line that was damaged in snowfall at an unidentified location.

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, stated that around 130 soldiers have been deployed to Grampian in northern Scotland. This region is home to 3,000 people who have lost heat and light due to 100mph winds which damaged power lines.

Soldiers from Gordon Barracks, before they were deployed in areas of Aberdeenshire that are still experiencing power disruptions
SSEN reported that power was restored to over 129,000 customers after Storm Arwen struck. This is despite what Chris Burchell, managing director of SSEN stated as “catastrophic damage” to the electricity grid.
According to company officials, most properties that are still without power can be found in rural or isolated areas with Aberdeenshire as the largest affected area.
Ben Wallace, Defense Secretary of the UK said: “We are always prepared to offer extra support to civil authority across the UK during their time in need. It is great to see units stationed in Scotland supporting local communities.
“Our dedicated Armed Forces will carry out door-to–door checks of individuals in their homes to provide essential support to the people impacted by storm Arwen.
The Durham County Council of England stated that the assistance came in response to a request by Darlington Local Resilience Forum, (LRF), for more resources.
John Hewitt (chairman of LRF’s strategic coordination group) stated: “We are doing everything possible to help residents who have been affected by power cuts, including providing emergency supplies and checking in to confirm that everything is okay.”
He said, “We are extremely grateful to the Ministry of Defence for their approval of our request for assistance and that there are troops already on the ground supporting our communities.”
Servicemen and women based in St John’s Chapel will visit residents door to door in order to assess their wellbeing and offer support if needed.
The team will provide information on the progress of work on restoring power and solicit feedback about any concerns.