UK weather forecast: Yellow warning issued as Britain braces for 75mph gale force winds

Met Office warns of travel delays and possible loss of power in Scotland

Gale force winds are set to batter parts of Britain on Monday as forecasters warn of widespread travel disruption.

A Met Office yellow weather warning has been issued for Scotland as “very strong winds” of up to 75mph are expected to sweep across northern and eastern areas until Tuesday.

The high winds are likely to cause delays to bus, rail, air and ferry services and make journeys longer in affected areas, according to the Met Office.

There is also a risk of power cuts across Scotland, and possible delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed road routes and bridges.

The Met Office said: “Very strong winds are expected to affect northern and parts of eastern Scotland on Monday and Monday night.

“Gusts of 65 to 75mph are likely, particularly in the far north and northeast, before winds gradually ease from the west during Tuesday.”

Some coastal and seafront routes in Scotland could also see spray from large waves.

Met Office meteorologist Mark Wilson said: “Winds will strengthen across all areas [of the UK] but particularly in northern Scotland.”

The rest of the UK will remain largely cloudy at the beginning of the week, but it is set to feel much colder as the week progresses.

A chill could see temperatures of around -2C or -3C in Scotland on Tuesday morning while northern England, Wales and the Midlands will stay just above 0C.

A bitterly cold start is expected on Wednesday morning with temperatures of -3 or -4C in Scotland, around -3C in Blackpool, Manchester and the Lake District, while Newcastle could manage 2C to 3C.

There could also be some freezing fog in northern areas on Wednesday.

Blizzards covered much of Greece in Snow (Reuters) (REUTERS)

A cold snap in central and eastern parts of Europe saw heavy snowfall and travel chaos over the past week.

Three people died in Greece after blizzards swept across much of the country. The body of the 66-year-old woman was recovered from an overturned car in the southeastern region of Keratea on Saturday.

Two men – including the woman’s husband – were found dead close by to the vehicle. It is thought the car was swept away by flood waters caused by the bad weather.

Heavy snow also caused significant travel problems in Germany and forced the evacuation of one town in Austria.