Lightning strike at 10,000f t
Planes caught up in storms as April weather turns icy... and snow is forecast for Bank Holiday
FLYING can be stressful at the best of times, but pity the poor souls on these flights.
While turbulence is little to fret about, no one particularly wants their plane struck by lightning at 10,000ft.
At least three airliners have been hit during violent storms in Britain’s topsy-turvy weather, although the planes’ electrical shielding ensured everyone remained safe.
Lightning hit the wing of an Icelandair flight on Wednesday night as it came in to land at Heathrow, while British Airways said its flight from Prague was also hit as it descended into the airport.
In Scotland, the start of the May Bank Holiday felt equally disconcerting, with icy air blasting in from the Arctic.
Snow warnings will remain in place until 3pm today and those going away for the weekend are being warned to expect hazardous driving conditions. Hillwalkers and climbers are also urged to take care due to the potential avalanche risk.
Met Office spokesman Lindsay Mears said: ‘It’s not looking great for those setting off early on a Bank Holiday weekend trip. Our warnings show there is a risk to those travelling and the possibility of disruption.
‘There’s a real mixture of unsettled weather. There are no weather warnings in place for Saturday – yet – but more stable conditions begin to come in as the weather switches from the North to the West and it won’t feel just as chilly as it has been.’
Today’s Met Office yellow ‘be aware’ weather warning for snow covers Strathclyde, Central, Tayside and Fife, Dumfries, Galloway, Lothian and the Borders.
Tomorrow is likely to be the best day of the weekend, with showers and occasional heavy rain forecast for Sunday and Monday.
Meteogroup forecaster Nick Prebble said: ‘Scotland is seeing current highs of just 7c (44.6f) or 8c (46.4f) but by Friday and the weekend it should reach double figures, maybe 11c (51.8f) or 12c (53.6f).’
The Scottish Avalanche Infor-
‘Risk to those travelling’
mation Service highlighted the dangers of snow so late in the season. In its latest forecast it warns: ‘The potential for fulldepth avalanches due to snow creep producing glide cracks in deeper accumulations on steep East-facing slopes presents an unpredictable hazard.’
Yesterday the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCS) issued advice ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend due to the ‘unseasonably cold’ spring.
MCS mountain safety adviser Heather Morning said: ‘Every spring, thousands of hillwalkers get back into the hills.
‘The majority have a fantastic experience but for those who do get into difficulties when encountering old snow patches, sadly a slip and subsequent slide in the wrong place does result in fatalities.
‘If you don’t have the kit or knowledge to deal with hard snow, my advice is to adjust your plan or enjoy a day out on one of our fabulous lower hills or glens where there is no chance of encountering old snow patches.’
This spring has already brought freezing temperatures and widespread snow. Official figures for this month’s temperatures are due to be issued soon from the Met Office but already there is speculation that it could be the coldest April for 35 years.
Arctic blasts from the North have seen temperatures drop this week, with minus 5.6c (21.92f) recorded at Kinbrace in Sutherland overnight on Wednesday.
Scotland Transerv had gritters out during the day yesterday as snow fell on main routes throughout the South-West.
Police are urging anyone travelling to be prepared for extreme weather conditions.
Chief Superintendent Andy Edmonston, head of road policing at Police Scotland, said: ‘Motorcyclists are more vulnerable than other road users and since the start of April we have seen two motorcyclists killed and others seriously injured.’
But exceptionally cold spring has been good news for winter sports enthusiasts. CairnGorm Mountain resort will remain open until at least May 2 to take advantage of the late flurries, and more than half of the 11 lifts in the Aviemore area were open for skiers and snowboarders earlier this week.
Punters are backing the chance of snow arriving over the Bank Holiday, with Coral offering odds-on at 4-6.