Winds of up to 60mph forecast for islands and West of Scotland Scotland is expected to be hit with stormy weather and even snow as gales of up to 60mph are forecast for the weekend. The Met Office predict severe gales will be experienced around the Hebrides and the west of Scotland. Strong gusts of between 50 and 60mph will be felt right across the country and there is a risk of some funnelling through the central lowlands for a time which could lead to stronger gusts on Sunday in these areas. Heavy rain on Sunday could increase the risk of trees falling over as the ground softens and roots lose their grip. As the low pressure moves east, it will pull in colder air from the north and give the first predicted snowfall over the mountains in the north-west of the country. The freezing level on Sunday afternoon is likely to drop down to around 800m, which means some sleet could make it as far down as 600m in the north. STV weather presenter Sean Batty said: "A deep low pressure system is forecast to develop just south of Iceland during the early hours of Sunday morning. This low will track east towards Norway during Sunday and Monday bringing a swathe of strong winds across Scotland. While this low pressure is nothing out of the ordinary, just one of those storms we get from time to time during the autumn and winter months, it's the first one of the season. It is likely that gales or severe gales of up to 60mph will be experienced around the Hebrides and across western Scotland. Strong gusts will be felt right across the country and there's a risk of some funnelling through the central lowlands for a time which could lead to stronger gusts on Sunday in these areas. A storm this early on can sometimes have a bigger impact to those ones we see later in autumn as the trees are still in full leaf which means they are heavier and also move more in the wind. As is usually the case with deep lows, as this one tracks east, it will pull in colder air from the north and give the first decent snowfall over the mountains, particularly in the north-west of the country. Being so early in autumn, of course, there are still plenty of outdoor events taking place at the moment and I would think there is the risk of some disruption to those being held on the Sunday. The weather will turn quieter as the low pulls away on Monday, although you can be sure that this low will be our first taste of autumn. More About Weather