Yahoo News Met Office issues new five-hour rare amber snow warning for part of Lancashire
The Met Office has issued a new rare amber warning of "heavy snow" for parts of Lancashire today as Storm Bert hits the region.
Forecasters say the storm, the second named one of the season, will cause travel disruption on Saturday morning with snow closing roads and strong rains and winds expected to cause potential flooding. The rare amber weather warning covers a large part of the north of England, including parts of East Lancashire, Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
It came into force at 7am today (November 23) and will remain in place until 12pm. Heavy snow could lead to some disruption including travel delays and power cuts, forecasters have warned.
READ MORE: How to check latest weather near you as Storm Bert batters much of Lancashire
People have been advised not to drive in the treacherous conditions and to consider alternative forms of transport if a journey is "essential".
The Met Office warning says: "Heavy snow will spread northeastwards on Saturday morning giving significant accumulations, especially on hills. Temporary accumulations of 5-10 cm are possible in the Vale of York, with 10-20 cm on ground typically above 200m, and potentially as much as 20-30 cm on hills above 400m.
"Snow will eventually change to rain in all areas by Saturday afternoon, but may be preceded by a short spell of freezing rain in places adding to the ice risk. Strengthening winds will lead to drifting of lying snow, with difficult travelling conditions likely on higher level routes, and the risk of interruptions to power supplies.
"A fairly rapid thaw of lying snow is then likely later on Saturday and overnight as milder air moves in."
According to the Met Office, Lancashire was expected to start feeling the impact of Storm Bert with some heavy rain between 4am and 5am. Strong gusts of wind were due to hit the region between 6am and 7am and last throughout the day and into Sunday.
A separate 29-hour yellow weather warning for snow and rain is also in force across covering large parts of Lancashire from 4am on Saturday until 9am on Sunday, with potential life-threatening flooding. East Lancashire, Chorley, Leyland, Lancaster, Fleetwood and Morecambe are among the areas included.
As for snow, the Met Office said that showers will likely be over higher ground and it is unlikely to stick around for long.
A spokesperson said: "Snow is expected over higher ground to the north and will be quickly replaced by rain. It will feel much warmer through the weekend, with milder air being dragged across the UK by Storm Bert."
Scotland looks set to be the worst hit, with an amber warning for snow and ice in force for much of Saturday. The Met Office said 10 to 20cm of snow is likely on ground above 200 metres and potentially as much as 20 to 40cm could fall on hills above 400 metres.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said Storm Bert was a “multi-hazard event”. He said: “We’re looking at strong winds, some high snowfall accumulation, heavy rain, all in various different parts of the UK. So it’s quite a complex weather set-up for the weekend. Generally speaking, it’s a very unsettled weekend of weather ahead.”
People have been advised not to drive in the treacherous conditions and to consider alternative forms of transport if a journey is "essential". Avanti West Coast has also advised customers not to travel north of Preston – including Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh – on Saturday because of the expected disruption from Storm Bert.
