Yellow warnings for wind are in place for great swathes of the country, as people living near coastal regions are told to be careful of rogue waves caused by the weather
Brits in some areas of the country have been warned of massive 80mph winds, with people in coastal areas told to beware of rogue waves.
The Met Office has put out yellow warnings for huge swathes of the UK, stretching across all of Scotland, into northern England and Northern Ireland. Lasting all day today and into Sunday – when they will be extended further south – the warnings highlight a windy start to many people’s Christmas breaks and celebrations.
Met Office chief meteorologist Frank Saunders, said: “We have slightly tweaked our weather warnings as the peak winds have now shifted slightly north. The strongest winds are expected across the far north of Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts in excess of 80 mph in coastal districts including Orkney.
“Dangerous coastal conditions can be expected too, with large waves an additional hazard, especially in respect to causeways. This period of strong winds may lead to some transport disruption, including ferry delays or cancellations.
“Frequent blustery showers will also be a feature on Saturday and may merge into a longer spell of rain for a time in the far north and northwest. Those showers could turn to snow on the hills in the northwest of Scotland on Saturday evening, and then overnight and into Sunday.
“This chance of wintry showers extends to Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and northern England. Snow will be focused over hills, where several cm may fall, but some sleet, snow and hail may fall to quite low levels for a time, bringing possible icy conditions by Sunday morning.”
Heathrow Airport said “a small number of flights” have been cancelled on Saturday due to “strong winds and airspace restrictions”. A spokesperson said: “This will ensure the vast majority of passengers can still safely travel as planned.
“We know how important travel at this time of year is and have extra colleagues on hand in our terminals to support people on their journeys. We encourage passengers to check in with their airlines for the latest information about their flights.”
Meanwhile, as well as wind, new weather maps have shown where in the country people can expect a flurry of snow. The WXCharts weather maps, which use Met Desk data, reveal a chilly blast will dump snow in the Scottish Highlands on Sunday. It said between 15cm and 20cm of snow was expected to fall in the region.
Lesser spells of snowfall were also forecast to fall in the Scottish borders, parts of Cumbria and some areas in Derbyshire. While Brits might be delighted to hear about news of snowfall, WXCharts said between 1cm and 5cm is expected to sprinkle itself in the regions.
Areas affected by today’s yellow warning for wind
Central, Tayside & Fife
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Angus
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Clackmannanshire
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Dundee
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Falkirk
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Fife
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Perth and Kinross
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Stirling
East Midlands
Grampian
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Aberdeen
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Aberdeenshire
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Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
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Na h-Eileanan Siar
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Highland
North East England
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Darlington
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Durham
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Gateshead
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Newcastle upon Tyne
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North Tyneside
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Northumberland
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South Tyneside
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Stockton-on-Tees
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Sunderland
North West England
Northern Ireland
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County Antrim
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County Down
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County Fermanagh
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County Londonderry
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County Tyrone
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
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Dumfries and Galloway
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East Lothian
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Edinburgh
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Midlothian Council
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Scottish Borders
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West Lothian
Strathclyde
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Argyll and Bute
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East Ayrshire
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East Dunbartonshire
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East Renfrewshire
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Glasgow
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Inverclyde
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North Ayrshire
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North Lanarkshire
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Renfrewshire
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South Ayrshire
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South Lanarkshire
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West Dunbartonshire
Wales
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Conwy
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Denbighshire
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Flintshire
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Gwynedd
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Isle of Anglesey
Yorkshire & Humber
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North Yorkshire
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South Yorkshire
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West Yorkshire
