Storm Bert is expected to bring wind, rain, ice and snow to much of the UK over the weekend in what forecasters have called a “multi-hazard event”.
The Met Office has issued several weather warnings – mostly yellow, but also including the more severe amber in Scotland – for Saturday and Sunday.
Oli Claydon, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said: “We’re looking at strong winds, some high snowfall accumulation, heavy rain, all in various different parts of the UK. So it’s quite a complex weather set-up for the weekend. Generally speaking, it’s a very unsettled weekend of weather ahead.”
He advised the public to keep an eye on the weather in their areas. “Because of the different nature of the weather across the UK, people really need to have an idea of what the forecast is for them specifically,” he said. “Further south, it’s wind and rain, further north it’s snow then rain and wind. So it really depends on where you are in the UK. Keep on top of the forecast for your area and prepare as necessary.
“Obviously, with snow and ice there could be some pretty tricky conditions, especially in the morning [on Saturday]. So, if you are going to leave the house, pay attention to what’s going on in your area with the local authorities.”
The storm is expected to reach the UK on Saturday. An amber alert for heavy snow and ice will be in force between 7am and 5pm that day in an area north of Scotland’s central belt, where 10cm to 20cm of snowfall is likely on ground above 200 metres, and potentially as much as 20 to 40cm on hills above 400m. The warning covers parts of Angus, Perth and Kinross, Stirlingshire, Aberdeenshire and some of the Highlands and Argyll and Bute.
Yellow wind, rain and snow warnings cover much of the rest of the UK. Wind warnings cover Scotland from 5am until 7pm on Saturday. Rain and snow warnings cover northern England from 4am to 9am and Northern Ireland from midnight on Friday until 11am on Saturday. Rain warnings cover much of Wales from 6am on Saturday until 6am on Sunday, and south-west England from 6am on Saturday until 11.45pm.
A wind warning also covers coastal areas of southern England from 3pm until 9pm on Saturday.
Storm Bert will follow a cold snap that caused schools to close in parts of the UK. Scotland remained the worst affected, with more than 54 schools shut in the Highland council on Friday because of snow.
The train operator Avanti West Coast advised customers not to travel north of Preston on Saturday, including to Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
“If you were due to travel on this route, your existing ticket can now be used anytime from Friday 22 November to the end of service on Monday 25 November,” the company said.
A spokesperson for RAC Breakdown, Alice Simpson, advised drivers to be aware of rapidly changing conditions on the roads. “Persistent downpours will lead to areas of standing water, so it’s important to keep speeds down as the risk of losing control through aquaplaning on a thin layer of water is far greater,” she said.
