LOVE and potentially a chill will be in the air for Scotland this Valentines Day weekend as a blistering cold snap is due to move across the country.
Temperatures are set to plunge well below freezing, with the Met Office considering putting out a weather warning.
Parts of Aberdeenshire are due to reach -5C on Sunday into Monday, with some areas of the Highlands expected to hit -4C. The cold air temperature isn't expected to rise significantly until the end of next week for most regions.
It comes as forecasters predict that freezing rain, a type of precipitation in which liquid freezes immediately upon hitting cold surfaces, will move across the eastern part of the country, and peak over the weekend.
According to the Met Office, freezing rain can bring down trees and power lines.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: "We have something a bit warmer coming in, but underneath it closer to the surface, we have some colder air plunging through, and now that's important because it brings the risk of some freezing rain.
“It can cause some very icy conditions and could cause some problems."
Speaking on the Met Office official YouTube channel, he added: "There is this risk through this weekend and into the beginning of next week of various spells of freezing rain mixed in with some sleet and snow at times as well.
“Any snow, any freezing rain can cause some issues so we may need to issue some warnings for these nearer the time."
The Met Office says on its website: "The weight of the ice can sometimes be heavy enough to bring down trees and power lines, and the glaze of ice on the ground effectively turns roads and pathways into an ice rink. The freezing rain can also prove extremely hazardous for aircraft.
"Freezing rain is more common in other parts of the world, for example in the USA, where weather systems produce a lot of freezing rain. These are called ice storms, and if enough glaze collects on trees or power lines, the weight of the ice can cause them to break and can result in disruption on a large scale."
