Cooler weather conditions are predicted to make an early appearance as snow is forecast to hit one small part of the UK in days, in the latest twist to the country’s freaky start to summer. Brits dusting off their sunglasses and sunhats in preparation for balmy weather might just want to swap these out of coats and woolly hats.

June is most certainly arriving with a shiver, with a sweeping cold front to bring wintry downpours and hail. In a blow to Scots the Met Office has admitted that a cold front is poised to head towards the UK on Tuesday and Wednesday with overnight temperatures to plunge to freezing. Although this cold front is disappointing, the forecaster said it isn’t “unheard of”.

Responding to reports that a “freak polar cold front” would cause snow, the Met Office said: “A cold front is responsible for the change in the UK’s weather, which is seeing a shift to wetter and windier weather on Tuesday and into Wednesday.

“This could indeed see a mixture of snow and rain over the high ground of Scotland over the next couple of days, but this isn’t the weather the vast majority of people will experience and isn’t unheard of, even at this time of year.”

WXCHARTS predict that parts of Scotland could see 3cm of snow fall at 9pm this evening, June 3. At midnight the Scottish Highlands will see 0.6cm of snow fall, and Portree is predicted to the largest amount of snow fall – according to the maps.

At 3am tomorrow morning, June 4, snow depths for the Scottish Highlands could reach 5cm.

Summer’s arrival will also fall foul for most of the UK with temperatures disappointingly near or below average.

The Met Office said: “Unsettled and changeable conditions are likely through much of this week, with a mixture of sunny spells and some longer spells of rain, though temperatures are likely to peak around 22°C in the south of England later in the week – on what is likely to be a fairly wet day for many.”

It adds: “The Met Office long-range forecast suggests that changeable conditions are most likely in the first half of June, with a mixture of settled and unsettled weather with a westerly weather regime most likely. There’s obviously a chance of some warmer spells, with these being more likely in the south and east.”