Britain forecasts first snow of autumn as mercury plummets to 4C as summer ends

Showery rain will affect Scotland, hitting northern England later. The south of England will remain drier after days of heavy downpours lead to flooding in parts

The first snow forecast of the season is in for the UK as the temperature looks set to plummet to 4C.

The weather charts show around 1 to 2 inches of snow between Fort William and Inverness, Scotland is predicted for around 3pm today. The WXChart map also shows a large system of rain, sleet and snow moving across Scotland, while much of England remains dry after days of heavy downpours.

The Met Office says that today will be drier for many. A spokesman said: "Today, showery rain will affect Scotland, extending to parts of northern England later which can be heavy at times. Elsewhere it will be a brighter at times, though fresher day than on Monday, with a few showers developing.

"Tonight, rain and showers will largely die out across the northeast, though showers will continue across coasts. Cloudy elsewhere and turning cool in sheltered spots. Tomorrow, it will be cloudy and mild in the south but rain will reach the southwest during the late morning, spreading eastwards across much of England and Wales by the end of the day."

Looking at the temperatures dropping in the next few days, Met office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “We are getting more of a classic jet steam picking up, and the jet stream is getting more lively and it is getting more south shifted, and that is likely to bring low-pressure systems our way.

“There may be a window on Tuesday where much of the UK is fine before this weather system arrives, but it is likely that low pressure will dominate, and the south will be more susceptible to wet and windy spells. Generally, with low pressure nearby some heavy rain is likely and some gusty winds are also possible.”