Nicola Maxey, of the Met Office, said thundersnow is “not something you see every day” and warned there is a “likelihood” of thunderstorms and associated snow in parts of western Scotland.

“But looking forward, temperatures are slowly rising now, tomorrow is still going to be cold but not as cold as today,” she said. “Next week we will see temperatures coming up, and by mid-week we’re likely to see high pressure building across southern England, with temperatures above average for some years. 

“This sort of cold spell is slowly coming to an end now, and we are going to see temperatures improving.”

Meanwhile, coach operators in Glasgow warned commuters that they should brace for delays and only make journeys if they are “essential”. Scottish City Link, a long-distance coach operator, urged passengers to give themselves more time for their journeys “due to the thundersnow”. 

The dangerous conditions also prompted police in East Dunbartonshire to tweet: “Please take care if you need to head out in your car this morning. There are a number of vehicles abandoned throughout East Dunbartonshire due to the weather. Stay at home if you can, and travel later once the roads are a bit clearer.”