Cold weather warning for Scotland as odds are slashed on coldest winter

SCOTLAND faces an “early winter” with a cold October and snowy -10C November freezes, starting with a 1,000 mile-wide “Norwegian barrage” this week.

The Met Office forecast a cold month ahead and said La Nina, the cooling eastern Pacific Ocean, is set to cause cold weather in Scotland as winter starts.

Bookmaker Coral cut odds on the coldest winter on record to 4-9 odds-on. Spokesman John Hill said: “Temperatures are falling as fast as the odds.”

Forecasters predict a week of cold temperatures, 3C below average is ahead. They said 9-11C highs for most will feel like 6-8C because of the windchill from Norway.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: “La Nina is developing in the Pacific and raises the chance of early winter cold.”

The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: “It looks like an early winter, with the cards stacked in favour of a cold second half of autumn due to La Nina.

“A temperature of -10C is expected in Scotland in November, with snow on Scottish mountains now and at lower levels in November.”

A Met Office forecaster said: “Temperatures rather on the cold side are expected in most areas to October 23.

“October 24 to November 7 has temperatures at or just below average throughout. Showers may turn wintry over high ground in the north.”

Councils have put gritters on standby in anticipation of the freezing temperatures.

EX-BBC and Met Office forecaster John Hammond of weathertrending said: “There’s a good chance October and into November are chillier than normal. La Nina is one factor.

“Arctic air means frost and early snowfall is more likely. And the coming week sees some raw days with temperatures in single figures in the North and East.”

Temperatures will hover in the low teens for much of the country for this month.