Travellers urged to check weather conditions as Storm Conor descends
Festive travellers are being urged to check the weather conditions before setting off as Storm Conor descends on northern parts of the country.
Festive travellers are being urged to check the weather conditions before setting off as Storm Conor descends on northern parts of the country.
After a lull following disruption caused by Storm Barbara, fresh weather warnings have been issued for high winds and snow expected to sweep across parts of northern Scotland, peaking on Boxing Day when gusts could reach 90mph.
The Met Office issued a yellow be aware'' wind alert for Christmas Day for the Highlands, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.
A gust of 85.5 mph was recorded at Scalpay Bridge in the Outer Hebrides on Sunday while at Castlebay in Barra speeds reached 74.9mph, the Western Isles Council said.
Snow affected several routes in the north east of Scotland while restrictions were put in place on many bridges due to the windy conditions and the Dornoch Bridge was closed.
Alerts are also in place for the north west and north east of England, Yorkshire and Humber where gusts of around 50-60 mph are forecast.
On Boxing Day a more serious amber be prepared'' warning has been issued for Orkney, Shetland and the most northerly part of the Highlands where winds could push 90 mph.
Those areas were worst hit by Storm Barbara, which cut electricity to more than 25,000 homes.
The Met Office warned of the potential for renewed disruption to travel and power supplies as well as large waves affecting coastal areas.
Elsewhere gales could hit parts of Grampian and Strathclyde, while snow alerts have been issued for central Scotland northwards as Storm Conor drags Arctic air across the region as it passes to the north of the country.
Snow accumulations of 5cm to 10cm are expected above about 200 metres, and 10cm to 15cm above about 400 metres, with drivers warned to be aware of icy patches.
Flood alerts are in place covering Tayside, Caithness and Sutherland, Orkney, Scottish Borders, Shetland, Skye, Easter Ross and Great Glen and Lochaber and the Western Isles, while local flood warnings have been issued for Tayside and Caithness and Sutherland.
Scotland's Transport Minister Humza Yousaf chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government's resilience team on Sunday with representatives of the Met Office, Transport Scotland, Police Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
He said: Storm Barbara was a challenge, although the early warning meant operators were able to contact most customers in advance at the start of the week which allowed travel plans to be revised.
Our responders in the north have scarcely had a chance to recover from these conditions but now Storm Conor is set to bring the next test during Boxing Day.
Of course many people will be travelling to meet loved ones and spend time with their families at this time of year and we would remind the public to check before they travel and delay their journey if they have to. Safety must be paramount and should take priority.
We have well established communications channels at our disposal and a new microsite on the Traffic Scotland website which covers all modes of transport. I know that travel companies and operators have also been very proactive in terms of speaking to customers via phone, email, text and social media - this has been a crucial part of this year's mainly successful contingency planning so far.
The Scottish Government's Resilience operation is actively monitoring weather developments and receiving updates from the Met Office, SEPA and the utilities companies, as well as keeping in touch with emergency responders and councils at a local level in the areas likely to be affected by adverse weather.''
Despite the impending storm forecasters have said mild temperatures could make it the warmest Christmas Day on record, as Storm Conor pulls mild air behind it as it approaches the north of the UK.
Areas in the south are expected to reach 15C (59F), pushing the record of 15.6C (60F) registered in Devon in 1920.
Met Office meteorologist Chris Page said: Because of the wind direction from the south west, Storm Conor brings up some milder air which means temperatures will only drop to lows of 9C (48F) and 10C (50F), making it a very mild start to Christmas Day.
We'll see some clearer, drier spells in Scotland but the sunshine will be in the south and with south-westerly winds dragging up more mild air we could even see some records broken.
It could maybe reach 15C which could make it the warmest Christmas Day on record in the last 100 years.''
Bookmaker Coral said it has taken a host of bets on a white Christmas, with odds cut to 4-6. Aberdeen is the favourite, followed by Edinburgh and Glasgow.