The Met Office has extended its yellow weather warning across much of Scotland with disruption to travel expected as the wintery conditions extend to next week
The Met Office has extended the yellow weather warning for much of Scotland(Image: Getty Images)
The Met Office has extended Scotland’s yellow weather warning for snow and ice into next week meaning swathes of the country are braced for a longer arctic blast. The Met Office has also warned there will be significant travel disruption over the coming days, as some parts of the country is set to see ‘blizzard conditions’.
Scotland has been hit with several different weather warnings for snow and ice in recent days, with the Met Office extending the yellow weather warning for ice and snow, which was due to end on Sunday into Monday. The new weather warning is in place from midnight tomorrow (Saturday 3) until 12pm on Monday, January 5.
There is expected to be frequent and heavy snow showers, which will bring further accumulations of snow and ice, bringing disruption and delays. The Met Office is alerting Scots to prepare for the conditions, with some places bracing for daytime temperatures to feel as cold as -12C, and landing snow to reach 10-15cm in low lying areas and as high as 30cm in higher areas.
The Met Office has extended the yellow weather warning into Monday, January 5(Image: The Met Office)
The Met Office states: “Snow showers are expected to continue through the weekend, being brought well inland by strong northerly winds. Winds should ease somewhat into Sunday, with showers by then most prevalent around coasts. Snow showers should finally begin to ease during Monday morning. With temperatures inland likely remaining below freezing through the weekend, thaw of lying snow is not expected.
“With respect to additional accumulations: through the weekend and into Monday morning, a further 2 to 5, locally 10-15 cm of lying snow is possible in low lying areas. 15-30 cm could potentially accumulate above 200 m, most likely for the northwest Highlands and Grampians.”
The forecasters continue: “Given wind strengths Saturday some drifting of snow and temporary blizzard conditions are likely. Lightning will be an additional hazard near showers.”
Additionally the Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for snow and ice affecting Orkney & Shetland which is in place from midnight January 3, till 12pm the same day.
The amber warning is also in place for northern and north-east Scotland, where frequent and prolonged snow showers are expected from midday on Friday January 2 until midday on Saturday January 3.
What to expect from the weather
The Met Office has issued some warnings for Scots, and what they can expect during these harsh weather conditions:
- Possible travel delays on roads stranding some vehicles and passengers
- Possible delays or cancellations to rail and air travel
- Some rural communities could become cut off
- Power cuts may occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected
- A chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
- Untreated pavements and cycle paths might be impassable
The weather has already caused issues for many drivers around the country(Image: GettyImages)
Already in some regions, the weather has been affecting the roads, with commuters reporting of “treacherous” black ice lying under the snow. Other drivers have been forced to divert and in some serious cases others have been left stranded and forced to abandon their cars.
Regions and local authorities affected:
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Dundee
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
Orkney & Shetland
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- Inverclyde
- West Dunbartonshire