Snow is forecast to sweep across parts of the UK on Friday as Storm Austen, the first named storm of the 2026-2027 autumn/winter season, brings harsh wintry conditions. The Met Office has issued an amber "danger to life" warning for winds of up to 80mph in parts of south-west England.
Wind warnings and heavy rain
Weather warnings for wind come into place from midnight tonight and will run until 2pm tomorrow afternoon. The storm will also bring heavy rain to Scotland, with snow likely to fall as well.
Met Office weather maps show snow sweeping across the Highlands from the morning and continuing into the afternoon, while rain drenches the rest of the country.
Snow timeline and affected areas
Weather maps indicate that the snow will hit Scotland at 10am, affecting higher ground north and east of Fort William and areas near Loch Rannoch. By 1pm, the snow will have intensified over high ground in the Highlands and will drift further eastward towards Aberdeenshire by 4pm.
Between 8am and 2pm, the Met Office says Fort William has a 90%-95% chance of rain or snow. At 6pm, a large band of snow will remain over the Scottish Highlands, particularly in Dalwhinnie, Glen Doll Lodge and Fort Augustus.
The band of snow will largely affect the Scottish Highlands, slowly drifting eastwards between 7pm and 10pm before dispersing almost entirely by 11pm.
Met Office warning
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: "Storm Austen is expected to bring a spell of impactful weather to parts of the UK from Thursday night and through Friday.
"While there remains some uncertainty in the exact track of the storm, there is increasing confidence in the potential for disruptive winds across parts of southwest England, which is why an amber weather warning has been issued.
"Winds gusts could potentially reach 60-70 mph for a time, and these strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain. People in affected areas should keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings as the event develops."
The six UK counties forecast for snow on Friday are Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, Inverness-shire, Banffshire, Aberdeenshire, Perthshire, and Argyllshire.
