Storm Bert is causing widespread disruption across the UK, with snow, rain, and strong winds impacting travel plans.

Most of the UK is affected by yellow warnings for either wind, rain or snow, with a slightly more severe amber warning covering parts of northern England and central Scotland, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.


Two areas in Ireland have been issued a rare red warning for heavy rain until 10am.

London, East Anglia, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull and swathes of the Midlands are the only parts with no current warnings in place.

National Highways has issued a “severe weather alert” for snow affecting Yorkshire and northeast England between 5am and 3pm.

In Yorkshire, the A628 was closed overnight in both directions between the A616 Hollingworth and the A57 Flouch due to snow, National Highways said. The A66 Trans-Pennine route was also closed between the A6 and the M6 (J40).

In Scotland, Perth and Kinross Council cancelled its annual Perth Christmas lights switch-on event over safety and travel concerns.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern described a “multiple hazard event” going into Saturday morning.

“We’ll see two to four hours of heavy snow across parts of northern England and Scotland during Saturday morning,” he said.

“This snow will accumulate thick and fast, with five to 10cm at lower levels and as much as 20 to 40cm over hills accompanied by strong winds.

“You can expect blizzards over hills across northern England and Scotland, atrocious conditions for travelling and going over the hills and also the risk of power interruptions because of snow build up on power lines.

“So all in all, a multiple hazard event as we go into Saturday morning.”

Temperatures will rise quickly as the storm brings milder air from the Atlantic, he said, resulting in a “rapid thaw” by the afternoon.

While airports are not expecting disruption, rail companies have announced service changes over the weekend.

In Scotland, there will be speed restrictions on the West Highland Line, Highland Mainline, Stranraer Line, Glasgow South Western Line, Far North Line, and West Coast Mainline between Carstairs and the border.

ScotRail has also withdrawn services from Inverness to Elgin, Aberdeen to Inverurie, and Glasgow Queen Street to Oban.

The TransPennine Express, meanwhile, “strongly” urged customers not to travel north of Carlisle on Saturday and Avanti West Coast advised against travel north of Preston.

News.Az