Warning: Amber
To expect: Snow
Affected areas: Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar
Start time estimate: Friday noon
End time estimate: Saturday noon
The Met Office has announced an Amber snow alert for several regions across the UK for Friday and Saturday.
The warning is covering parts of Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar. All local areas affected are listed below.
Snowfall is forecast for the regions, expected to start covering the areas at approximately noon on Friday and continuing until noon on Saturday.
The Amber warning for snow was issued at 10:07am on Thursday, January 1.
A Met Office forecast said: “Heavy snow showers will become more frequent and may merge to give longer spells of snow at times. The area and period covered by this warning are when the heaviest and most disruptive snow is thought most likely during the current cold spell, with existing yellow warnings covering a wider area and a longer period. Further accumulations of 10-20cm are likely at low levels with 30-40cm possible on high ground. Windy conditions will also result in some drifting of snow and temporary blizzard conditions.”
What to expect
Travel delays on roads are likely, stranding some vehicles and passengers; Some delays and cancellations to rail and air travel are likely; There is a good chance that some rural communities could become cut off; Power cuts are likely and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.
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 areas affected
Central, Tayside and Fife
Angus, Perth and Kinross
Grampian
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray
Highlands and Eilean Siar
Highland
What is an amber 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 Amber weather alert for snow will remain in place until noon on Saturday.