Storm Bert batters Scotland as weather warnings come into force

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Storm Bert has begun to make an impact with snow closing Scots roads and strong rains and winds expected to cause further travel disruption and potential flooding.An amber alert for heavy snow and ice is in force between 7am and 5pm on Saturday in areas across the country, where 10-20cm is likely on ground above 200 metres and potentially as much as 20-40cm on hills above 400 metres.The weather warning covers parts of Angus, Perth and Kinross, Stirlingshire, Aberdeenshire and some of the Highlands, Argyll and Bute, the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire.

Perth and Kinross Council was forced to cancel its annual Perth Christmas lights switch-on event over safety and travel concerns.Ferry operator CalMac - which serves the west coast of Scotland - has cancelled several sailings today Saturday, November 22, with disruption expected on many other services.

P&O Ferries cancelled the 4am sailing between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in Scotland's south west this morning.Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said the storm's arrival was following a "relatively quiet" night on Friday with temperatures at around minus 4C across parts of Scotland and minus 1C in eastern England."We'll see two to four hours of heavy snow across parts of northern England and Scotland during Saturday morning," Mr McGivern 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