Scotland's 'danger to life' wind warnings to cover entire country on Christmas weekend
Scots are being warned to batten down the hatches after the Met Office extended this weekend's weather warnings. The national forecaster previously issued two yellow alerts for Saturday, including one with potential "danger to life".
Both warnings come into place at 7am on Saturday, December 21, and will now run until midnight, rather than the previous 9pm, at which point a new yellow alert begins and runs until 9pm on Sunday, December 22.
The area covered by the alerts has also increased, with Saturday's warnings covering all of Scotland except for the Shetland Islands. The more severe warning covers Orkney, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, the North-West Highlands, and western sections of some of Scotland's other Hebridean islands, including Skye, Tiree, Coll, Mull, and Islay.
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The second warning covers the remaining islands off the west coast as well as the rest of the mainland, leaving the Shetland archipelago as the only region in Scotland not impacted by the high winds.
Locals within the first warning area have been told to expect very strong westerly winds throughout the day thanks to a deep area of low pressure. Strong winds of 65-75mph are expected across the region but there is a chance some areas may see gusts of up to 80mph.
The galeforce blasts may cause damage to buildings and the Met Office have warned that there may be a "danger to life" and risk of injury from large waves hammering coasts and beaches.
The high winds are also likely to impact ferry services across the islands, with delays and cancellations expected. Disruption is expected for motorists too, due to the potential for overturned vehicles and road closures.
Residents within this warning zone have been urged to secure any loose items outside their home and, if travelling, check for any updates on the roads and ferry crossings.
Gusts of 50-60mph are expected widely across the rest of the country, covered by the second weather alert. Major disruption is expected on the roads ahead of Christmas, with motorists heading cross-country for the festive season being told to prepare for delays due to the weather and increased holiday traffic.
On Sunday, the 21-hour warning covers the entirety of mainland Scotland as well as the Hebridean islands off the west coast, with only the Orkney and Shetland Islands excluded. It also covers all of Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as huge swathes of England.
The wind is expected to hit around 50-60mph across much of the UK, with it potentially reaching 70mph in coastal or hilly regions.
Speaking about the initial warnings yesterday, Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Harris said: “A deep area of low pressure is expected to pass to the north of Scotland on Saturday, heading towards southwest Norway.
"Yellow wind warnings are currently in place across northern and western parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, where there’s a small chance of gusts in excess of 80mph across parts of the Hebrides, Orkney, and parts of the north and west Scottish mainland coast.
"Delays or cancellations to sea and air transport are possible given these winds, amongst other impacts. More generally however, gusts of 60-75mph are likely and when coinciding with daytime travel in the busier pre-Christmas period, may cause some travel disruption."
Scotland's yellow wind warnings - areas affected on Saturday
Central, Tayside & Fife
Angus
Clackmannanshire
Dundee
Falkirk
Fife
Perth and Kinross
Stirling
Grampian
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Moray
Highlands & Eileanan an Iar
Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Highland
Orkney & Shetland
Orkney Islands
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Dumfries and Galloway
East Lothian
Edinburgh
Midlothian Council
Scottish Borders
West Lothian
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
Glasgow
Inverclyde
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire
Scotland's yellow wind warnings - areas affected on Sunday
Central, Tayside & Fife
Angus
Clackmannanshire
Dundee
Falkirk
Fife
Perth and Kinross
Stirling
Grampian
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
Moray
Highlands & Eileanan an Iar
Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Highland
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
Dumfries and Galloway
East Lothian
Edinburgh
Midlothian Council
Scottish Borders
West Lothian
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
Glasgow
Inverclyde
North Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
West Dunbartonshire
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