Snow and ice expected to bring travel disruption ahead of amber weather warning

The Highlands and north-east Scotland are set to bear the brunt of severe winter weather on Friday, with amber warnings for snow in force and the Met Office warning of blizzard-like conditions, power cuts and travel disruption.

Two separate amber warnings for snow come into effect at noon and remain in place until noon on Saturday.

They sit within a wider yellow warning for snow and ice covering a larger area, which came into effect at 6am on Thursday and lasts until midnight.

Heavy snow is already causing difficulties for motorists in the Highlands and north-east of Scotland, with further disruption expected as wintry conditions intensify and continue into the weekend.

The Met Office has warned that areas under the amber alert could see vehicles becoming stranded and power cuts. On Friday, snow accumulations of up to 20cm are possible on low ground, with as much as 40cm expected on higher ground.

Describing the amber warning, the Met Office said: “Heavy snow showers will become more frequent and may merge to give longer spells of snow at times.

“The area and period covered by this warning are when the heaviest and most disruptive snow is thought most likely during the current cold spell, with existing yellow warnings covering a wider area and a longer period.”

The forecaster added: “Windy conditions will also result in some drifting of snow and temporary blizzard conditions.”

Chief superintendent Scott McCarren, Police Scotland’s head of road policing, urged caution, saying: “Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the bad weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve.

“If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey.

“Please don’t drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety.”

People across the UK have been urged to prepare for longer journey times by road and on bus and train services.

The AA estimates that 20.7 million car journeys are likely to be made across the UK on January 2, following a quieter New Year’s Day when 18.0 million trips were predicted.

A Met Office spokeswoman said: “We expect this cold spell to persist into the weekend and on into next week, with further warnings possible as temperatures remain well below average and snow showers continue in places.”

On Friday, a yellow warning for snow and ice was issued across large parts of England and Wales between midnight and noon, including Chester and Greater Manchester down to London and Kent.

Separate yellow warnings are in place for Northern Ireland between midnight and 10am on Friday.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued warnings across England until 10am on January 6, saying the weather is “likely” to cause significant impacts on health and social care services, including a “rise in deaths” among those aged 65 or over or people with underlying health conditions.

Dr Paul Coleman, consultant in health protection at the UKHSA, said: “The weather is forecast to be very cold across England over the coming few days.

“Low temperatures like these can have serious impacts on the health of some people, particularly older people and those with serious health conditions.

“Exposure to cold can lead to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.

“It is therefore really important, as the colder weather sets in, to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.”