Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Siberian winds set to arrive this week
DUNDEE is bracing itself for “exceptionally cold” weather tomorrow with chilly winds and snow blowing in from Siberia.
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning f or snow across Tayside, with temperatures in Dundee expected to plummet
The forecaster has issued warnings for snow in Dundee over three consecutive days — tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday.
The most serious alert is an amber rating for Wednesday, with snow showers of 5-10 cm “expected quite widely with locally 10-20 cm possible”.
It will also feel like -9C on Wednesday, according to forecasters.
Martin Bowles, meteorologist with the Met Office, said the inclement conditions were due to high pressure around Scandinavia, which is drawing in cold air from across northern Europe, including parts of Russia.
As a result, Tayside is set to get a taste of the subarctic conditions usually reserved for Siberia.
Mr Bowles said: “We’re getting very, very cold air and, as it moves across the North Sea towards Tayside, it’s picking up an awful lot of moisture.”
Mr Bowles warned that the freezing weather was expected to continue throughout the rest of the week.
He continued: “The high pressure over Scandinavia will stay in the same place for a few days — perhaps even into the following week.
“It will be there for quite a long period. There may even be more snow.”
As a result of the Scandinavian system, temperatures will hang around freezing all day on Wednesday, with a risk of snowy showers for most of the day and the air feeling as cold as -7C.
Similar conditions are expected on Thursday — officially the first meteorological day of spring.
Some disruption is expected on the roads and railways and in the skies as the Siberian blast moves in.
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said he had been receiving updates from the Met Office as the situation developed over the weekend in order to prepare an appropriate response.
He said: “Preparations are well under way with our operating companies and key partners.
“We fully expect to see some very challenging conditions.
“I would urge the public to plan their journey ahead of time and check their routes in order to minimise any impact.
Our operating companies have their winter maintenance teams closely monitoring the trunk road network, treating road surfaces and standing ready to assist motorists when required.”
Motorists and other travellers are being advised to check for the latest updates on Traffic Scotland before setting off on any journeys.