STORM Bert has developed into an Atlantic weather bomb – due to go off across Scotland tomorrow sparking “horrendous” conditions on the roads.
The storm making landfall has undergone what weathermen call “explosive cyclogenesis” which happens to the deepest areas of low pressure approaching our shores.
Tomorrow morning could see the coldest temperature of 2024[/caption]
A workman clears snow from the pavements in the village of Garve in Ross-shire[/caption]
Evie Murison and her little sister Cora Murison sledging in Alford, Aberdeenshire[/caption]
As a result, the Met Office is predicting a “multi-hazard event” tomorrow, with foot-deep snow, torrential rain and coastal winds gusting to 70mph.
Tomorrow morning could see the coldest temperature of 2024 should the mercury fall below -14C (6.8F).
On Sunday, a fresh threat comes from flash flooding as rain combines with snow melt in a rapid thaw.
Power companies are drafting in engineers in case blizzards bring down power lines, particularly north of the central belt.
SSE said it was sending 750,000 text messages to vulnerable customers, advising them what to do if the lights go out.
In this area – governed by a 12-hour amber weather warning from 7am tomorrow – Police Scotland are asking motorists to keep off the roads.
Met Office forecaster Aiden McGivern said: “If you’ve got travel plans, I would urge you to think again.
“It really is going to be horrendous if you are travelling across parts of Scotland and Northern England. There could be significant impacts.”
All forms of travel – air, road, rail and ferry – are likely to see delays and cancellations as the second named storm of the season takes hold.
Tonight, CalMac began sheltering vessels in ports on the west coast to protect them from damage.
The ferry company said it feared the wild weather could disrupt the pier infrastructure at Castlebay, on Barra, and took the decision to re-position the MV Isle of Lewis to Stornoway ‘for safe berthing’.
Road operator BEAR Scotland will shut the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll at 2pm tomorrow and re-direct traffic under convoy along the Old Military Road at the foot of Glen Coe.
Tomorrow morning could dawn with a bone-chilling -14C (6.8F) somewhere in Aberdeenshire, which would make it the coldest UK temperature so far this autumn.
The coldest so far has been Braemar in Aberdeenshire at Minus 11.2C (12F) on November 19.
If the mercury drops below Minus 14C, it will make it the UK’s coldest temperature of 2024.
Dundee United supporters are due to travel to Glasgow for the game with Rangers and Aberdeen fans face the long trip to Paisley to play St Mirren.
At the height of the country-wide warning period, which ends at 9am on Sunday, Hearts are due to host Celtic in Edinburgh tomorrow.
The League 2 match between Elgin City and Clyde at Borough Briggs tomorrow has been postponed.
BBC Scotland’s weather forecaster Christopher Blanchett told viewers: “It’s all change on the weather front this weekend, with an approaching area of low pressure that’s rapidly deepening.
“It is undergoing a process known as explosive cyclogenesis and this means a very windy spell of weather and rain and because cold air is in place, some snow as well.”
Today saw many more school closures in the north. Highland Council said 60 primaries, secondaries and nurseries were shut. There were dozens more in Aberdeenshire.
The snowplough called ‘Plougher O’ Scotland’ became stuck in deep snow just off the A835 near Aultguish, close to Ullapool in Ross and Cromarty.
It had to be pulled out by an HGV recovery vehicle.
A hardy workman was seen clearing snow in the remote village of Garve as traffic passed the snowbound Aultguish Inn.
