Get set for stormy Valentine’s Day!
80mph gales and rare ‘freezing rain’ to hit today
IT is the day when couples are meant to enjoy a warm and happy glow – but stormy weather means Scots will have to endure a frosty Valentine’s Day.
Hurricane-force winds of up to 80mph are to lash the West Coast this afternoon before ‘freezing rain’ hits tonight.
The rare phenomenon is when downpours turn to ice the instant they hit the ground, creating treacherous conditions.
Thankfully, the conditions will ease tomorrow – but that will pave the way for a huge thaw that threatens to flood roads and railways.
Today’s Valentine’s Day storm will pass Northern Ireland winds of around 60 to 70mph, strengthening as they move north.
By the time the system hits the Scottish coast wind speeds will have reached 65-75mph.
A yellow Met Office ‘be aware’ warning for the rest of today states that gales could reach as strong as 80mph by the time they arrive over the Outer Hebrides.
A separate warning for freezing rain is in force until 9pm.
Drivers across Scotland are being warned that ‘dangerous driving conditions’ are likely in a number of places and could result in a spate of accidents. Untreated pavements and cycle lanes could quickly become ‘treacherous and possibly impassable’.
The Met Office’s Becky Mitchell said: ‘Freezing rain is not something we see very often in the UK and it can be very dangerous.’
Meanwhile, snowy and icy roads caused havoc for drivers yesterday, with emergency services having to free motorists from snow drifts. Parts of the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness had to close due to heavy snow, while queues of cars and lorries formed on a number of main roads.
A number of snow gates were shut, including at Braemar, Aberdeenshire, and Tomintoul, Moray.
A bus driver was taken to hospital ‘as a precaution’ yesterday, police said, after the vehicle went off a slip road on the A90 at Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, around 6.55am.
They are not believed to have been injured. It follows a Megabus coach ending up on its side just off the A90 south of Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire, on Friday night.
Two people were taken to hospital with minor injuries after the accident, which happened around 9.45pm. No other vehicles were involved.
Police Scotland has also warned people about the dangers of frozen rivers, ponds and lochs after ‘several’ reports of children playing on the ice.
They also advised dog owners not to throw balls over ice for pets to fetch as it could be a ‘dangerous’ and unstable surface.