White Friday!
Worst storm of winter to bring snow and gales of up to 80mph
SCOTLAND is to face the worst storm of the season so far this weekend – with snow and wind speeds of up to 80mph.
Building tomorrow – the day of the Black Friday sales – the weather front will arrive with wintry showers and then gusts will peak during the hours of darkness into Saturday morning.
Weekend Christmas markets are thought to be at risk in city centres and owners of temporary structures have been warned to take precautions.
Heavy rain, sleet and snow – potentially at lower levels for a time – are expected to bring additional hazards through Saturday, though snow is not expected to lie in areas of high population.
A yellow Met Office warning for severe wind begins at noon tomorrow, which will see many people on the move as it has been declared a public holiday for St Andrew’s Day by the Scottish Government.
Gusts could reach 50-60mph quite widely, with 70-80mph possible in some exposed spots –
‘Strongest gusts we’ve seen so far’
enough to damage buildings, cause power cuts and potentially close some road bridges to highsided vehicles. Rail and air travel could also be disrupted.
A deep area of low pressure is forming in the North Atlantic, moving south-east into the North Sea by Saturday.
As Scotland is closest to the centre of this system, it is here that the highest wind speeds will be recorded.
Grahame Madge of the Met Office said: ‘The strongest element of this warning period is the high winds, which will affect everywhere in Scotland.
‘These will constitute the strongest gusts we have seen so far this autumn, coupled with wintry showers of snow or sleet.
‘We know there will be impacts on the ground as many trees are still in leaf, which makes them more resistant to the wind.’
The weather warning will be in place for 30 hours, ending at 6pm on Saturday, and applying to the whole of the country.
Last night, ferry operator CalMac began warning passengers that West Coast sailings face cancellation from tomorrow due to the wind speeds.
It said it might try to bring forward to today an extra crossing on the Oban to Barra route. The travel alert was issued as Transport Scotland unveiled its toughest winter-ready package for gritters and salt stocks.
A fleet of 230 gritters will operate from more than 40 depots on the trunk road network.
A new facility at Polmadie in Glasgow is now the country’s largest salt barn, capable of holding 17,500 tons of grit.
Transport Minister Graeme Dey said: ‘I’d urge motorists to play their part when the worst of the conditions move in. Make sure your vehicle is prepared and plan your journey before you set off.
‘While we can’t stop the weather, we can all be prepared for when the worst of the winter conditions move in and help keep Scotland moving.’
Head of transport at the Met Office Jon Dutton said: ‘Winters in the UK usually include a wide variety of weather and this winter looks to be no exception.’