Edinburgh weather: Beast from the East 2023 to hit Edinburgh as Met Office warns of snow and low temperatures

Edinburgh will be hit by snow showers and below-average temperatures in the coming weeks.

The Capital could see a second Beast from the East, with wintry conditions similar to 2018’s adverse weather event forecast for the city. The Met Office has warned that a major Sudden Stratospheric Warning (SSW) event, which is currently occurring over the Artic, could bring snow and cold to Scotland in March.

While Edinburgh is currently experiencing mild temperatures and settled conditions, the weather is set to turn in around 10 days time. According to the BBC weather forecast, Edinburgh will see sleet showers on Tuesday, March 7, while snow is expected to fall on Wednesday, March 8. In a long-range forecast for February 27 to March 8, the Met Office said: “Towards the end of the period, there is an increasing likelihood of colder conditions, with a chance of snow showers in many eastern and northern areas”. The forecaster also warned that temperatures were expected to drop below average.

This adverse weather may not be short-lived. “Spells of rain or snow, are more likely than earlier in the month”, according to the Met Office’s long-range forecast for March 9 to March 23. However, the weather experts said there is “a low chance” of the wintry episodes being disruptive.

The Met Office has warned that snow and unusually cold temperatures are on their way, as a second Beast from the East is expected to hit Edinburgh in March. Picture Michael Gillen.

In February 2018, a major SSW resulted in a storm dubbed ‘the Beast from the East’ hitting the UK, bringing heavy snow storms and unusually low temperatures. The weather conditions caused widespread disruption, causing shops to shut and flights to be grounded.