Surf ’s up as Storm Barbara shows her teeth
A huge wave crashes against Castlerock pier as professional surfer Al Mennie waits for a break in the swell in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Storm Barbara is expected to cause major travel disruption when it batters Scotland today, with 90mph winds predicted. The Met Office has issued an amber warning.
Winds of up to 90mph are expected to batter parts of Scotland today as Storm Barbara hits land at the same time as thousands of people are embarking on Christmas travel.
Met Office amber “be prepared” notices for the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland had initially been in place from this afternoon until the early hours of Christmas Eve, but they now only cover up to midnight on Friday.
Yellow “be aware” notices have been issued for the same regions on Christmas Eve when winds could reach speeds of 65mph.
Flood alerts are also in place for the Highlands and Western Isles, as well as Skye and the Scottish Borders – some areas badly affected by storms at the same time last year.
The rest of Scotland, pockets of Northern Ireland, north Wales and the north of England are also due to feel the force of Storm Barbara today.
Scotland’s transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “Ministers are getting regular updates on the status of Storm Barbara and the likely impacts, with gusts of 90mph expected across the far north of the country tomorrow where the Met Office has an amber warning in place.
“The safety of the travelling public is our main concern and services will run where possible, but planning in advance is essential and people should leave plenty of time for journeys and consider the conditions and when they travel.”
Brent Walker, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said: “Storm Barbara is crossing the Atlantic and will pass close to the north-west of the UK during Friday, bringing the potential for some disruption to power supplies and travel, and possibly structural damage.
“Whatever your plans over the next few days, it’s worthwhile staying up to date with the latest Met Office forecasts.”
Yesterday flights from three London airports were hit by delays after fog shrouded the capital overnight, Britain’s largest airline has said.
Festive travel plans faced being thrown into chaos after Heathrow, Gatwick and London City Airport all experienced a raft of hold-ups due to the weather.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents hundreds of councils in England and Wales, said it was issuing renewed advice on how to deal with flash floods and has stockpiled more than one million tonnes of salt to grit roads.
Environment spokesman Martin Tett said: “Councils are fully prepared to protect residents and minimise disruption.”