Met Office weather forecasters have issued a rare amber alert ahead of the landfall of Storm Bert, which is expected to cause UK-wide chaos this coming weekend.
Bert, which was named by the agency today, will touch down in just a few days, with heavy winds, freezing rain and blizzards speeding towards the country. The storms brought by the furious system will compound the already chaotic conditions that have developed over the last few days, with temperatures plummeting below zero and snow cascading over every home nation.
Among the risks posed by Bert this weekend are freezing rain, heavy snow and wind which constitute a "danger to life" for those living in Scotland, where the storm is expected to be its most ferocious. The Met Office has warned people not to drive during the conditions, with widespread delays also on the horizon.
The agency said in its amber warning for Saturday, November 23 that snowfall would spread northeastwards from Scotland, causing massive snow pileups over high ground. The warning states: "Heavy snow will spread northeastwards on Saturday morning, giving significant accumulations in many areas.
"Accumulations of 10 to 20cm are likely on ground typically above 200m, with potentially as much as 20 to 40cm on hills above 400m. Snow will eventually revert to rain during Saturday afternoon, but may be preceded by a short spell of freezing rain in places adding to the ice risk.
"Strengthening winds will lead to drifting of lying snow, with difficult travelling conditions likely on higher level routes, and the risk of interruptions to power supplies. A fairly rapid thaw of lying snow is then likely on Saturday night as milder air moves in." The amber warning covers a comparatively small section of the UK, just five local authorities in three Scottish regions.
People living in the warning area have been warned to expect possible power cuts, injuries, and tricky driving conditions on the road, which the Met Office states should not be driven on. The agency continues: "It is safer not to drive in these conditions, but if you need to make an essential journey, consider alternative forms of transport, to keep you and others safe.
"If you must drive, do this more safely by: using dipped headlights; accelerating gently, using low revs and changing to higher gears as quickly as possible; starting in second gear to help with wheel slip; maintaining a safe and steady speed, keeping distance from other vehicles; using a low gear to go downhill, avoiding braking unless necessary; steering into skids, not taking your hands of the wheel, and avoiding slamming on brakes."
The areas affected by the amber warning include:
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
Grampian
- Aberdeenshire
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute