Warning: Yellow
To expect: Snow and ice
Affected areas: Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland, Strathclyde
Start time estimate: Thursday 6am
End time estimate: Friday 11pm
The Met Office has announced a Yellow snow and ice warning for Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland and Strathclyde across the UK for Thursday and Friday.
The warning is covering parts of Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland, Strathclyde. All local areas affected are listed below.
Snow flurries are projected to hit the regions, arriving across the areas on Thursday at around 6am and lasting until 11pm on Friday.
The Yellow alert for snow and ice was announced at 9:32am on Monday, December 29.
A Met Office forecast said: “Showers will turn increasingly to snow through Thursday as a strong, perhaps locally gale force northerly wind sets in. Initially accumulations will mainly affect higher routes, but by evening some accumulations will start to build even to low levels, with 2 to 5, locally 10 cm of lying snow accumulating by Friday morning. Above 200 m some places could see 10-20 cm of snow accumulate, and on the highest routes and hills, 30 cm or more may build through this period. Given the strength of the wind some significant drifting of snow is likely.”
What to expect
Disruption to travel is likely on roads, with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel; There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off; There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected; There is a chance of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.
What should you do?
Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous, so to keep yourself and others safe:
• Plan your route, checking for delays and road closures, amending your travel plans if necessary.
• If driving, leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off.
• Make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays (warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger).
People cope better when they have prepared in advance for the risk of power cuts or being cut off from services and amenities due to the snow. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.
Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.
For further details see Met Office Warnings & Advice.
Full list of local regions affected
Central, Tayside and Fife
Angus, Perth and Kinross
Grampian
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray
Highlands and Eilean Siar
Eilean Siar, Highland
Orkney and Shetland
Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute
What is a yellow weather warning?
The Met Office has three categories of weather warning, depending on the likely impact of severe weather and also how likely it is to strike in a particular area.
A yellow warning is issued when weather conditions are expected to disrupt travel and traffic and may impact on daily routines but are not likely to pose a risk to life or property.
An amber warning is more severe and advises people to think about changing their plans to minimise the risk.
A red warning means weather conditions are expected to be dangerous with widespread damage to property and a risk to life, with the public usually advised to avoid travelling.
The Yellow weather alert for snow and ice will remain in effect until 11pm on Friday.