David Wheeler Describes Shetland Snow In Scotland After -6.1C Night

Snow in Scotland returned to Shetland on Wednesday morning, with houses and cars briefly coated in a thin layer of snow after a cold night across the UK. The flurry lasted only a couple of hours before temperatures rose again.

Altnaharra And Shetland

The Met Office said temperatures fell to -6.1C in Altnaharra in the Highlands overnight, the coldest May night in five years. Other overnight lows included -5.3C in Kinbrace, -4.3C in Braemar and -1.1C in Dyce.

On Wednesday morning, Shetland had snow showers before the weather turned milder. David Wheeler, a weather expert in Fair Isle, described the snow as a "shock" and said low pressure north of Shetland had brought colder air down from Arctic regions to the islands.

David Wheeler On May Cold

Wheeler said climate change was altering movements of air and making low temperatures in May less unusual. He said winds would normally be bringing up air from warmer latitudes at this time of year.

The brief snow came after other spring falls in Scotland, including a dusting on some of the country's highest hills and mountains in early June last year and in June 2024. In 2010, more than 100 skiers used ski tows at the Cairngorm Mountain resort near Aviemore for the first time in midsummer.

Scotland's Spring Snow

Snow in spring is not unusual in Scotland, but the timing stood out because it followed the coldest May night in five years. Wheeler said milder weather was expected over the weekend, followed by a cooler period with the return of a northerly air flow.

The last comparable disruption mentioned in the record came on 6 May 2021, when snowfall affected parts of Scotland during the Holyrood election. For people in Shetland, the immediate change was short-lived but visible: a thin white layer on homes and cars, then a return to wetter, less wintry conditions as the morning progressed.