'Multi-hazard weather event' causes travel disruptions

BBC Weather's Darren Bett explains how Storm Bert will hit the UK.

Storm Bert is pummeling the UK with snow, heavy rain and strong winds, disrupting road and rail travel.

An amber warning for snow and ice has been issued for Scotland on Saturday.

Six more yellow warnings for rain and wind have been issued across the UK. The Met Office calls Storm Bert a “multi-hazard weather event”.

Rail companies have urged passengers to avoid traveling to certain areas, and many roads have been closed.

An amber warning means there is an increased risk to life and property, as well as travel delays, road closures and power outages due to severe weather.

Amber alerts are issued primarily when low-level impacts are likely to occur due to weather.

Scotland and the north-east of England will be most affected by the snow, while strong winds will be felt most in Wales and the north-east and south-east of England. Heavy rain is expected to fall across the UK.

The storm followed a cold spell this week that forced some schools to close in several parts of England.

The highlands of northern England and the Scottish hills could see 20 to 40 cm of snow, risking significant road congestion.

But it's also affecting low-lying areas. Snow has already fallen in northeast England and Scotland.

The National Highways has issued a weather warning warning of snow falling on roads in Yorkshire and north-east England as blizzard conditions are expected. They say the snow is set to “accumulate quickly at all levels.”

Parts of England's A roads are closed due to snow and traffic delays are expected, the National Highways said.

Snow falling in wet, thick flakes is more likely to cause a power outage as it can stick to power cables and tree branches, causing them to break under the extra weight.

Across south-west England and Wales, the Met Office warned that widespread rainfall of 50 to 75 mm (2 to 3 inches) could fall throughout Saturday.

The heaviest and most persistent rain falls in southern Wales and southwestern England, where up to 150 mm (6 inches) of rain can fall. That would be all of the average rainfall for November in just one day.

Incessant rain is expected to continue for several hours, with some flooding possible later today into Sunday.

BBC Weather

Strong winds are also likely on Saturday, with gusts of up to 70mph felt across the west coast of England. Wind gusts of up to 67mph have already been recorded in Scilly and Devon.

Strong winds are expected to spread inland and affect many areas. These winds will be strong enough to knock down a few tree branches.

The National Highways Agency said the Severn Bridge (M48), which links Gloucestershire with south Wales, was closed in both directions due to high winds.

Ferry companies were also affected. Operator CalMac, which serves the west coast of Scotland, canceled a number of services on Saturday.

P&O Ferries also said it had canceled its services.

The rail operator also announced schedule changes due to Storm Bert.

TransPennine Express strongly urged customers not to travel north of Carlisle on Saturday, while Avanti West Coast advised passengers not to travel north of Preston.

In Scotland, there will be speed limits on a number of lines, including the Highlands and Glasgow South Western Line.

ScotRail has withdrawn a number of services and South Western Rail has asked passengers to only travel west of Basingstoke if travel is essential.

BBC Weather Watchers/Helen Earth

Parts of England and Wales are set to escape the cold on Saturday and warm up on Sunday.

The Met Office has issued the following weather warnings for Saturday and Sunday:

An amber warning for snow and ice is in place for parts of the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Perth, Kinross and Angus from 07:00 to 17:00 GMT on Saturday. Yellow warning for rain and snow in the Scottish Borders and south-west Scotland from 07:00 to 12:00 on Saturday and Northern Ireland from 09:00 to 11:00 on Saturday. Yellow warning for winds in the Highlands from 09:00 to 21:00 on Sunday. Amber warning for rain and snow across most of Wales and the West Midlands from 06:00 on SundayAmber warning for rain and snow over most of northern England and Scotland from 4:00am on Saturday. A gale yellow warning is in place for the west coast of Scotland, most of north-west England and north and south Wales until 9am on Sunday. IrelandYellow warning for winds in Northern Ireland from 05:00 to 19:00 SaturdayYellow warning for winds in the east coast of Scotland and northeast England from 05:00 to 19:00 SundaySaturday 19:00: 00 Yellow warning for strong winds for London, south-west England, south-east England and Wales from 15:00 Saturday to 21:00 Sunday.

Areas of the Republic of Ireland have been hit by flooding, including Killybegs in County Donegal. The western United States appears to have been most affected by Storm Bert.

About 60,000 customers nationwide are without power.

A red warning for rain has been issued for parts of Cork and Galway until 10am. A yellow weather warning remains in force across Ireland.

A yellow cold warning has been issued for most of England until 18:00 on Saturday.

This means increased health risks for vulnerable people, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged people to check on people who may be at risk.

Some people may qualify for cold weather benefits. This is a government benefit to help cover fuel costs during unusually cold weather.

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