Scotland is bracing for a ‘multi-hazard’ weather bomb amid warnings parts of the country could be cut off because of heavy snowfall.
Storm Bert could bring more than a foot of snow in some areas as the powerful low pressure system rumbles across Britain.
Yellow and amber weather alerts are in place for north of the Border today, with forecasters fearing the second named storm of the season could bring chaos over the weekend.
Bert was expected to make landfall by 3am, hitting the east coast first, before making its way across the mainland over the following six hours.
Snow, ice, heavy rain and gale force winds threaten to wreck weekend plans, and Scots have been urged to reconsider the need to venture out amid the adverse conditions.
The storm is set to bring some slightly milder temperatures as it kicks out the frigid Arctic air which had blasted Scotland – but not before another deep freeze.
Overnight temperatures in parts of rural areas with snow cover were expected to fall to as low as -14C.
Heavy snow falls at the Lagangarbh Hut, Glencoe as the wintry low pressure front blows in
Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, Aberdeenshire, is picture perfect in the snow
Traffic on the A835 passes the snow-covered Aultguish Inn in Wester Ross
The night before the mercury had slumped to -7C at Tulloch Bridge, Inverness-shire and -6.5C at Loch Glascarnoch, Ross and Cromarty, while the Perthshire village of Tyndrum recorded -6C.
Meanwhile, there was almost a 10-inch blanket of snow on the ground at Loch Glascarnoch, around 4in in Altnaharra, in Sutherland, and 2in in Lerwick, Shetland.
But there are fears Storm Bert could bring a significant amount more snowfall.
Bert is expected to sweep in from the Atlantic after undergoing explosive cyclogenesis over the ocean – known as a weather bomb – when the storm system’s pressure drops by 24 millibars in 24 hours
Jason Kelly, Met Office chief meteorologist, yesterday warned: ‘Storm Bert is what we call a “multi-hazard event”, bringing snow, rain and wind to the UK for the majority of the weekend.
Isaac Gaizevskis, 3, with his little sister Luna Gaizevskis, 7 months, playing on a sledge in Alford, Aberdeenshire.
Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, surrounded by snow and ice
‘As we go through the first part of Saturday morning, it will start to show its hand across Scotland, north Wales and northern England, with the potential for some heavy snowfall, especially over higher ground.
‘Warnings are in place, including an amber warning for snow and ice for parts of Scotland.’
The amber alert, which is in place until 5pm, warns of heavy snow with the Met Office predicting more than a foot on high ground.
Forecasters warn power cuts are likely amid the horrendous weather, and there is a chance some rural communities could become cut off in parts of central Scotland.
And anyone who does venture out could be faced with blizzard conditions.
The east and west coast of Scotland are being told to prepare for strong winds, with gusts of up to 70mph. A yellow warning for wind is in place until 7pm tonight.
And most of the country is covered by a similar warning for rain and snow – an alert which lasts until 9am on Sunday.
Police have cautioned people against travelling amid the potentially hazardous conditions.
A workman clears snow from the pavements in the village of Garve in Ross-shire
Superintendent Vinnie Fisher, deputy head of road policing, said: ‘All road users should consider if they really need to travel in adverse weather.
‘When driving on ice and snow, keep well back from the road user in front. Stopping distances can be up to 10 times greater than on dry roads.
‘Check your windscreen washer levels and ensure your windows are completely clear before driving. Failure to do so can result in a fine.’
Transport Scotland said its resilience room was active and the multi-agency response team would be activated for the amber weather warning.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency yesterday issued four regional flood alerts, and warned a combination of heavy rain and snowmelt would cause river revels to rise with localised flooding a possibility.
