UK weather: Snow, ice and heavy rain warnings as flood alerts issued for Scotland

Four weather alerts have been issued across the UK for Friday

Parts of the UK are bracing for snow and ice, while heavy rain bringing potential flooding has prompted a “danger to life” alert from forecasters.

Four separate weather warnings have been issued across the country today, the most severe being an amber alert for heavy rain across southern Scotland.

It joins two yellow weather alerts for rain – one for central and eastern Nothern Ireland, and a second covering central and southern Scotland – and a third for snow and ice in the north of Scotland.

The amber warning for heavy rain is in place from 12am until 2pm on Friday. It covers a large band of southern Scotland, including Dumfries, Galloway and the Borders.

Friday’s deluge could see Britons swamped by 40-50mm of rainfall and the Met Office has warned that fast-flowing or deep floodwater brings with it a possible danger to life.

Risks include spray and flooding leading to difficult driving conditions and some road closures. Delays or cancellations to train and bus services are also possible, while there is a good chance some communities may be cut off by flooded roads.

Four weather alerts have been issued across the UK for Friday, including warnings for heavy rain, flooding, snow and ice (Met Office)

The amber warning from the Met Office was issued in tandem with a flooding alert from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) across central and southern areas.

The alerts have been issued for Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran, CentralScotland, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee and Angus, Edinburgh and Lothians, Fife, the Borders, Tayside and west central Scotland.

Delays or cancellations to train and bus services and possible flooding to homes and businesses are also likely to cause disruption across central and southern Scotland – with a yellow weather warning in place until 2pm today.

The Met Office and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) have issued flooding warnings across central and southern Scotland (PA)

Parts of Northern Ireland are also expected to be mired in travel chaos this morning, with heavy rain and flooding likely to bring disorder and longer journey times to bus and train services.

Snow and ice are also expected to blast across the north of Scotland on Friday, particularly on higher ground. The yellow warning for wintry conditions began at 12am last night and remains in place until 9pm on Friday.

The frigid weather has prompted warnings that some roads and railways could be affected – dictating longer journey times by road, bus, and train services.

Met Office officials have also signalled a likelihood of some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces, with treacherous patches expected on some untreated roads, pavements, and cycle paths.

The wet and windy conditions in Britain have been associated by forecasters with the US winter “bomb cyclone”, which caused nearly 60 fatalities in eight states over the festive weekend – though the impact on the UK will be “nowhere near as dramatic”, Met Office meteorologist Simon Patridge said.

BBC Scotland Weather’s Christopher Blanchett explains “It’s difficult to trace the overnight rain tonight, directly to the US bomb cyclone system.

Snow and ice swept across parts of the UK earlier this month (PA)

“It looks as though that particular system actually went north, though other systems developed in the Atlantic and came towards our shores - which it may have had an impact in helping to create. So it’s not a simple clear-cut picture.

“However, the severe cold plunge we saw across the USA in the run up to Christmas, did energise the jet stream - which in turn is giving us the current unsettled spell of weather here in Scotland.”

MET OFFICE OUTLOOK

Friday:

Rain and strong winds clearing northwards and eastwards, although persisting across far north with risk of snow over northern Highlands. Sunshine and a few showers following from west. Mild, except far north.

Friday night:

Rain and snow gradually clearing from north Scotland. Further cloud and rain spreading north across southern and central Britain, heavy at times, and clearing in south later.

Saturday:

Band of rain and hill snow moving across northern England then Scotland. Meanwhile, further wet and windy spells in southern Britain – rather mild though.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Rain in the north and far south Sunday, wintry over the Highlands. Else bright or sunny spells, though rain into the west Tuesday. Mild in the south, colder further north.