Scots may need to prepare for blizzard-like conditions as snowfall is predicted for Scotland over the next week. 

Temperatures could dip as low as minus 10C (14F) later this week, with Thursday being predicted as the coldest day to come. 

Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said that, despite the mild start to Monday, it will become increasingly cold as the week progresses.

She added: “A return to cold is the theme for this week – cold, breezy with a return of widespread overnight frost and wintry showers.

“Thursday is looking like it might be the coldest day and night of the week. We will potentially have some lying snow across the hills of Scotland and that always helps to keep temperatures down, so we could potentially see temperatures as low as minus 8C (17.6F), possibly minus 10C (14F), across parts of Scotland where there is lying snow by Thursday night.

“And even across England and Wales we could see minus 6C (21.2F) to minus 8C (17.6F) and some snow across hillier parts.”

Over the weekend, some areas woke to two icy mornings, with the mercury dipping to a low of minus 2C (28.4F).

Overnight on Sunday, temperatures mostly stayed above freezing, with a touch of frost and sub-zero temperatures in a few isolated locations, such as Cairnwell in the Highlands of Scotland.

Other parts of Scotland, including Braemar and Lerwick and Dun Fell in Cumbria, saw temperatures of 1C-2C above freezing overnight. In the south, cloud and rain meant temperatures have since risen to 8C-9C (46.4F-48.2F).