Forecasters have ruled out an early start to winter in Scotland despite icy conditions arriving on the country’s highest peak at the weekend.
Hillwalkers took to social media to post images after snowfall landed at the summit of Ben Nevis on Saturday.
Abacus Mountain Guides posted an image of the scenes at the summit of the mountain to Facebook.
They wrote: “Live update from Ben Nevis summit, we have snow on the ground!”
Images taken by the mountaineers show cloudy conditions and snow frozen to the rocks of the popular summit.
Some Scots took to social media hill-walking groups to warn others to take care on the mountain due to the icy conditions.
It’s here. The first snow-fall of the new season has arrived on the summit of Ben Nevis. Photo from earlier today.
📷 @abacus_mg https://t.co/ZXBOdTQByZ pic.twitter.com/0QWMtcxp2V— Iain Cameron (@theiaincameron) September 12, 2020
However forecasters say temperatures aren’t expected to be cold enough for any more snow showers on Scotland’s mountains in the week ahead – with a spell of warm weather expected across the UK.
It's a very warm start to the working week for many of us
But how long will the temperatures remain high? pic.twitter.com/Q5XbUkPMBm
— Met Office (@metoffice) September 14, 2020
Temperatures are due to hit 30C in parts of England this week, while Scots could enjoy conditions of about 20C and above.
Met Office meteorologist Bonnie Diamond said: “It is sort of the opposite this week. Much of the UK is in for a warm spell with temperatures reaching 30C in the south-east (of England).
“Scotland won’t see temperatures as high as that but temperatures will be in the low-twenties or thereabouts.
“It is looking like any precipitation, even on higher ground, will fall as rain.
“Even on Ben Nevis it is not likely we are going to see any further snowfall this week.
“Temperatures over Ben Nevis, even overnight, are generally staying above freezing. Wednesday into Thursday it could get to zero. It is mostly 3C/4C.
“It is not a particularly cold week. It is just a bit of a warm air mass across the country. It is largely dry.”
She added: “Even into next week it does look like warm weather is the focus.”
At 4,413ft high, Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the UK.
It is an extremely popular walk with tourists throughout the summer months but turns incredibly treacherous in the winter time.
As recently as February this year, four men got lost on the hilltop in blizzard conditions after heading up without proper equipment.
Three of them were wearing trainers; and they had no ice axes, crampons or maps.
