Scotland is set to bear the brunt of a bone-chilling -9C blast as the UK braces for a frosty start to the new year, with weather maps showing 12 regions nationwide gripped by sub-zero temperatures
The UK is set for a frosty start to 2026 as weather maps predict a bone-chilling -9C blast sweeping across the nation. The onset of the new year looks set to be bitterly cold, with 12 regions across the country bracing for an icy snap.
December has been characterised by low pressure systems, leading to heavy rainfall and mild westerly or southerly winds for many. However, this pattern is due to change abruptly as Netweather charts turn a frosty blue, indicating a sharp drop in temperatures to below freezing.
On January 3, both northern and southern areas are expected to see a significant temperature decrease, with some places barely above 0C. Scotland appears to be in line for the harshest of the cold weather, with the Highlands and Perth and Kinross forecast to face wintry lows of -9C at 3am.
Stirling and Argyll and Bute could also see temperatures dive to -8C.
Elsewhere in Scotland, temperatures are predicted to fall between -2C and -4C, according to the Express. Heading further south, it doesn’t get much warmer, with large parts of Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West preparing for -4C, reports the Daily Star.
North Wales may also experience temperatures dropping to -4C, while Cardiff and Swansea are likely to feel a chilly -1C.
In London, the South West, East of England, and South West, temperatures are predicted to range between -2C and -1C. The severe cold looks set to continue, with forecasts indicating that by 9am, large parts of Scotland will be in the grip of sub-zero temperatures.
Perth and Kinross could face a bone-chilling low of -8C, while the Scottish Highlands are expected to endure a harsh -4C.
Major cities in the North East, including Newcastle and Sunderland, may be hit by a bitter -5C freeze, with Yorkshire and the Humber bracing for similar conditions.
The Met Office’s weather outlook from December 26 to January 4 warns of “below average temperatures”.
The forecast reads: “High pressure will likely dominate the weather in the run up to the New Year, slowly drifting to the west. This will maintain largely settled conditions, although with an increasing chance of showery conditions later in the period.
“Temperatures will be below average much of the time, with frost likely where clear skies and light winds prevail.”
