UK weather: Storm Bert to cause disruption with snow, winds and rain
The second storm of the season is expected to hit various areas of the UK this weekend, bringing snow, rain, and gusty winds.
Storm Bert is anticipated to arrive in the UK this Saturday, leading the Met Office to issue several weather alerts. Northern England and Scotland are expected to experience some of the most severe impacts.
Dan Holley, the deputy chief meteorologist of the organization, stated, “Storm Bert heralds a change to significantly warmer conditions, and the winter hazards will slowly decrease over the weekend. However, parts of northern England and Scotland are forecasted to experience heavy snowfall at times on Saturday, particularly in elevated areas, and we have issued warnings for this.”
Intense rainfall forecasted for Saturday and Sunday, particularly in the southern and western regions of the UK, is expected to affect many people, and several warnings have been issued.
“We anticipate that most areas under the warning could see between 50 and 75mm of rain, with some higher elevations in Wales and the south-west of England potentially receiving over 100mm.”
Furthermore, the quick melting of existing snow over the weekend, combined with strong winds, could worsen the situation and increase the chances of travel disruptions and possible flooding in certain areas.
An amber alert has been issued for significant snowfall and icy conditions from 7am to 5pm on Saturday in a region north of Scotland's central belt. Here, an accumulation of 10 to 20 centimeters of snow is expected for elevations above 200 meters.
In higher areas, particularly those over 400 meters, snowfall could reach between 20 to 40 centimeters.
The alert applies to areas in Angus, Perth and Kinross, Stirlingshire, Aberdeenshire, as well as certain regions in the Highlands and Argyll and Bute.
Weather experts warned that electrical outages and interruptions to travel were probable, and it was quite possible that some rural areas might be isolated.
From midday on Thursday until 10am on Friday, a cautionary alert for snow and ice is active in large areas of Scotland, northern England, and some regions of western and eastern England and Wales.
This follows shortly after significant snowfall caused several schools across the nation to shut down.
Over 114 schools in the Highland council region were closed on Thursday, including Inverness Royal Academy, where students were informed that their preliminary exams scheduled for that day would be postponed.
Nearly 40 schools in Aberdeenshire were closed, with several others starting their day later than usual. In Moray, around 12 schools also shut down, and others experienced delayed openings. Due to the weather conditions, over 100 schools and nurseries across Scotland were closed on Wednesday.
On Thursday, 89 schools in Devon were closed in England, along with 18 in Dorset and 60 in Cornwall. Meanwhile, in Wales, around 10 schools were shut in Conwy, 18 in Denbighshire, and two in Wrexham.
The weather posed difficulties for public transportation, leading to the suspension of Stagecoach Highland services in Inverness due to poor road conditions, while Stagecoach Bluebird services in Moray experienced interruptions.
The Met Office has announced a yellow alert for snow and ice that applies to a large portion of Scotland, northern England, and certain areas in western and eastern England and Wales, lasting until 10am on Friday.
