Storm Bert to make landfall in HOURS bringing heavy rain, 15 inches of snow & gale-force 70mph wind to swathes of UK
STORM Bert will make landfall in just hours - bringing heavy rain, 15 inches of snow and gale-force 70mph wind to swathes of the UK.
Parts of Scotland will be blanketed by up to eight inches of snow as Storm Bert strikes this weekend, with a danger to life warning in place tomorrow.
Airports are also urging passengers to double check their flights are still going ahead - and plan routes carefully, with motorists told to stick to main roads.
The storm is set to hit on Saturday and the Met Office is expecting it to bring "heavy rain, strong winds and disruptive snow to parts of the UK through the weekend", potentially causing travel disruption and flooding.
An amber alert for heavy snow and ice will be in force between 7am and 5pm on Saturday in an area north of Scotland's central belt.
Some 10-20cm is likely to fall on ground above 200m and potentially as much as 20-40cm on hills above 400m in the affected area.
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The warning covers parts of Angus, Perth and Kinross, Stirlingshire, Aberdeenshire and some of the Highlands and Argyll and Bute.
Meanwhile, yellow wind, rain and snow warnings cover much of the rest of the UK.
Wind warnings cover Scotland from 5am until 7pm on Saturday.
Rain and snow warnings cover northern England from 4am to 9am and Northern Ireland from midnight on Friday until 11am on Saturday.
Rain warnings cover much of Wales from 6am on Saturday until 6am on Sunday, and south-west England from 6am on Saturday until 11.45pm.
A wind warning also covers coastal areas of southern England from 3pm until 9pm on Saturday.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said Storm Bert was a "multi-hazard event".
"We're looking at strong winds, some high snowfall accumulation, heavy rain, all in various different parts of the UK," he said.
"So it's quite a complex weather set-up for the weekend. Generally speaking, it's a very unsettled weekend of weather ahead."
He advised the public to keep an eye on the weather reports in their areas.
Claydon said: "Because of the different nature of the weather across the UK, people really need to have an idea of what the forecast is for them specifically.
"Further south it's wind and rain, further north it's snow then rain and wind. So it really depends on where you are in the UK.
"Keep on top of the forecast for your area, and prepare as necessary.
"Obviously, with snow and ice there could be some pretty tricky conditions, especially in the morning (on Saturday).
"So if you are going to leave the house, pay attention to what's going on in your area with the local authorities."
Last night, the national weather agency said much of the UK experienced temperatures near freezing, with the mercury falling as low as -6C at Tulloch Bridge in Scotland.
It follows a cold snap which caused schools to close throughout the UK.
Scotland remained the worst affected, with more than 54 schools shut in the Highland Council on Friday because of snow.
At least 27 schools in Aberdeenshire were also shut while many others had delayed openings.
South of the border, at least 37 schools were shut in Devon, and three in Dorset.
RAC Breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson warned drivers to be aware of "rapidly changing conditions" on the roads because of Storm Bert.
"Persistent downpours will lead to areas of standing water, so it's important to keep speeds down as the risk of losing control through aquaplaning on a thin layer of water is far greater," she said.
"Drivers should also be very wary of puddles as they can sometimes hide dangerous potholes beneath that can cause expensive damage to vehicles.
"Strong winds increase the risk of debris falling into the road which makes journeys more challenging, particularly in exposed coastal areas where drivers might be at risk of being buffeted off course.
"Routes in Scotland, especially rural ones, look likely to face disruption from fresh snow that is forecast on Friday and Saturday.
"We encourage motorists to stick to major roads where possible and take extra care in the worst-affected areas.
"Those who have to drive should stay tuned to weather forecasts and allow plenty of time to de-ice and de-mist your vehicle, as it's dangerous and illegal to drive looking out of a small gap in a frozen windscreen."
UK 5 day weather forecast
Today:
A cold and frosty start for many, with plenty of sunshine, especially for inland areas.
Scattered wintry showers will continue to feed inland along windward coasts exposed to the brisk northwesterly wind.
Tonight:
Showers will gradually fade during the evening, as cloud increases from the west.
Turning increasingly unsettled overnight with heavy rain, proceeded by hill snow.
Winds strengthening, with gales for some.
Saturday:
Turning wet and windy for all on Saturday as Strom Bert arrives, with some hill snow, particularly across the north.
Becoming widely windy with gales for some. Turning milder.
Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:
Wet for many on Sunday as rain clears east, with showers following. Drier and brighter on Monday, but some showers still around. Similar on Tuesday with winds continuing to ease.
Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick said yesterday: "Through into Friday... snow showers are set to continue mainly around coastal areas though once again still a few feeding inland at times.
"There will also still be plenty of autumnal sunshine. Still feeling cold though, particularly in those brisk winds - once again we're only looking at highs of around 5C, slightly higher in the south west around 7C.
"Across the north those temperatures struggling to move past 2-3C.
"As we head into Friday evening, a change is on its way as we introduce Storm Bert moving its way in from the Atlantic.
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"So we'll see clouds spilling in from the south west with outbreaks of rain - heavy at times by the time we reach Saturday morning."
Ms Criswick said there are likely to be "heavy" outbreaks of rain throughout Saturday, "falling as snow" at times across northern parts of England and parts of Scotland.
Areas affected by Met Office weather warnings
Friday
Yellow warning - snow & ice (up to midday)
Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
Orkney & Shetland
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
Yellow warning - snow & ice (up to 10am)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Dundee
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Northamptonshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Rutland
East of England
- Bedford
- Cambridgeshire
- Central Bedfordshire
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Luton
- Norfolk
- Peterborough
- Suffolk
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
Highlands & Eilean
- Siar Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
London & South East England
- Buckinghamshire
- Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire
- North East England
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
North West England
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Blackpool
- Cheshire East
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Cumbria
- Greater Manchester
- Halton
- Lancashire
- Merseyside
- Warrington
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
Wales
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Gwynedd
- Isle of Anglesey
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Wrexham
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Telford and Wrekin
- Warwickshire
West Midlands
- Conurbation
- Worcestershire
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
Yellow warning - snow & ice (up to 10am)
- Northern Ireland
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Yellow warning - ice (up to 10am)
London & South East England
- Hampshire
- Isle of Wight
- Portsmouth
- Southampton
- West Sussex
South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- North Somerset
- Plymouth
- Somerset
- Torbay
- Wiltshire
Saturday
Yellow warning - wind (5am-7pm)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
North East England
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Sunderland
North West England
- Cumbria
Northern Ireland
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute East
- Ayrshire East
- Renfrewshire
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
Wales
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Gwynedd
- Isle of Anglesey
- Pembrokeshire
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
Amber warning - snow & ice (7am-5pm)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
- Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
- Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
Yellow warning - rain & snow (4am-9am)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
North East England
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
North West England
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Cheshire East
- Cumbria
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway East
- Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
- Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute East
- Ayrshire East
- Dunbartonshire East
- Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
West Midlands
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
- York
Yellow warning - rain and snow (midnight-11am)
Northern Ireland
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Yellow warning - rain (6am-6am Sunday)
Wales
- Blaenau
- Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Gwynedd
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath
- Port Talbot
- Newport
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda
- Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
Yellow warning - rain (6am-11.45pm)
London & South East England
- Hampshire
- Oxfordshire
- Portsmouth
- Southampton
- West Berkshire
- South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bournemouth
- Christchurch and Poole
- Bristol
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Plymouth
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Swindon
- Torbay
- Wiltshire
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
Sunday
Yellow warning - rain & snow (4am Saturday-9am Sunday)
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
North East England
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
North West England
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Cheshire East
- Cumbria
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
- Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
West Midlands
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire York
Yellow warning - rain (6am Saturday to 6am Sunday)
Wales
- Blaenau
- Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Gwynedd
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath
- Port Talbot
- Newport
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda
- Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire