‘Double whammy’ with snow and a 15-hour wind alert

BLIZZARD conditions and galeforce winds are expected to cause chaos for Scotland’s commuters tomorrow.

Forecasters have issued a 15-hour wind warning, with gusts of up to 70mph sweeping across the country.

Snow is also expected across the Central Belt.

The ‘double whammy’ conditions are being driven by a deep area of low pressure being driven towards Scotland by a jetstream running at 200mph, forecasters say.

Snow is expected to start falling at 6am, in time for the start of the morning rush hour.

Three hours later, the 15-hour warning comes into effect.

It comes after heavy rainfall and strong winds lashed the country yesterday, amid warnings for snow and ice. Grahame Madge of the Met Office said: ‘It looks like this very unsettled period will continue.

‘Forecasts into March suggest spells of wet and very windy weather are likely.’

Snow will be heaviest above 1,000ft, with ‘significant accumulations’ on higher ground.

Forecasters warn the snow could also affect lower areas, including the Central Belt and the Southern Uplands. However, it is likely turn to rain by the end of the morning. A yellow warning for wind is in place from 9am across most of the country except the North-West Highlands, with gusts of 5060mph expected and more exposed areas of the West Coast hit with 70mph gusts.

Yesterday, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency had nine flood alerts and 38 more serious flood warnings in place. Floodwater on the tracks caused

ScotRail to cancel services between Glasgow and Aberdeen, Perth and Dundee, and Edinburgh to Inverness.

Heavy rain resulted in severe flooding at Mill O’Keir viaduct between Stirling and Perth.

There were also serious problems at Haymarket station in Edinburgh after electrical supplies were hit during torrential rain. Ferry sailings between Ardrossan, Ayrshire, and Brodick

were cancelled, with crossings also called off from Oban to Coll and Tiree, Tarbert to Portavadie, Mallaig to Armadale and Tarbert to Lochranza.

The Tay Bridge in Dundee was closed to double-decker buses, with restrictions at the Erskine Bridge, Friarton Bridge in Perth and Forth Road Bridge.

High wind warnings were also in place on the Queensferry Crossing and Skye Bridge.