‘Multi-hazard’ Storm Bert slams into Britain bringing snow and 70mph winds

We have been talking about it for days now but Storm Bert is finally here and with it comes heavy snow and rainfall across the UK.

The Met Office has warned of ‘atrocious conditions’ across the north of England with high accumulations of snow.

There are yellow wind, rain and snow warnings that cover much of the rest of the country today and tomorrow. 

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said parts of northern England and Scotland could see two to four hours of heavy snow this morning. 

He said: ‘This snow will accumulate thick and fast, with five to 10cm at lower levels and as much as 20 to 40cm over hills accompanied by strong winds.

‘You can expect blizzards over hills across northern England and Scotland, atrocious conditions for travelling and going over the hills and also the risk of power interruptions because of snow build up on power lines.

‘So all in all, a multiple hazard event as we go into Saturday morning.’

But with it Storm Bert brings warmer temperatures so the snow will melt fast.

Elsewhere, Wales and the South West are at risk of seeing 75mm of rain, and potentially more than 100mm over parts of South Wales and Dartmoor.

He continued: ‘The melting snow and the heavy rain could lead to localised flooding in places but the wettest spots would be Wales, in the South West, particularly over south-facing hills, that’s where we’re likely to see gales and certainly the risk of impacts from wind as well as from rain.’