Storm Bert named: Met Office warning over 70mph winds, torrential rain and blizzards this weekend as snow falls as far south as Devon immediately

Storm Bert will strike from Saturday with Britons told to brace for heavy rain, 70mph winds and snow blizzards after a week of snow and sub-zero temperatures.

The Met Office issued snow, ice, wind and rain warnings for all of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as for the North, Midlands and South West of England.

The most serious is an amber alert for 1ft 4in (40cm) of snow in northern Scotland on Saturday from 7am until 5pm, which warns of rural communities becoming cut off, impassable pavements and road delays ‘stranding some vehicles and passengers’.

Forecasters also imposed a yellow rain and snow warning for Scotland and northern England down to the East Midlands from 4am on Saturday to 9am on Sunday. This warns of up to 8in (20cm) of snow on higher ground and up to 1.6in (40mm) of rain.

A 70mph wind warning was issued for coastal areas of Scotland, Wales, northern England and Northern Ireland, running from 5am on Saturday until 7pm on Sunday.

And a separate yellow warning for up to 5in (150mm) of rain was imposed for most of Wales and parts of Devon and Cornwall from 6am on Saturday until 6am on Sunday.

The second named storm of the season will follow snow and ice causing further problems for commuters across the UK today as weather warnings remain in place.

Temperatures have plummeted with the coldest reading this early in the season since 1998 recorded on Tuesday as Braemar in Aberdeenshire fell to -11.2C (12.2F). 

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley said: ‘Storm Bert marks a shift to much milder air and wintry hazards will gradually diminish through the weekend.

‘But heavy snowfall is expected across parts of northern England and Scotland for a time on Saturday, especially over higher ground, and warnings are in place. 

‘Heavy rain through Saturday and Sunday, especially in southern and western parts of the UK, will also bring impacts for some with a number of warnings in place.

‘We expect 50mm to 75mm of rainfall quite widely within the warning areas, but in excess of 100mm is possible over high ground in parts of Wales and South West England.’

He added that ‘rapid melting of lying snow over the weekend and periods of strong winds’ could ‘bring the potential for travel disruption as well as flooding for some’.

The North, Midlands and East of England are already under an amber cold health alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) amid the current cold snap.

This warns of ‘significant impacts across health and social care services’, including a ‘rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions’.

Unsettled weather is likely to continue into next week, as the country faces strong winds and showers. Temperatures will be around average, but strong winds will make it feel cold.

The Met Office added: ‘Looking further ahead there are indications we could see a brief return to colder conditions with wintry showers for a time, especially in the north, before it becomes unsettled and milder again at the end of next week.’

It comes as hundreds of schools were closed today amid snowy conditions.

A Met Office yellow warning of snow and ice had been in place across northern Scotland until midday today, with up to 2in (5cm) of snow expected fairly widely.

A new alert was then issued warning of snow and ice for much of Scotland, northern England and parts of western and eastern England and Wales between midday today and 10am tomorrow.

More than 114 schools were shut in the Highland Council area today due to snow, including Inverness Royal Academy where pupils were told their prelim exams planned for the day will be rescheduled.

Almost 40 schools in Aberdeenshire are also shut while many others had delayed openings, and in Moray around 12 are closed and others opened late.

It comes after more than 100 schools or nurseries were closed in Scotland yesterday because of the weather.

South of the border, 89 schools are shut in Devon today, 18 in Dorset and 60 in Cornwall, while in Wales around 10 are closed in Conwy, 18 in Denbighshire and two in Wrexham.

The weather has also caused transport disruption, with Stagecoach Highland services in Inverness suspended due to road conditions and Stagecoach Bluebird services in Moray disrupted.

Parts of south-west England including Plymouth and Exeter also received a yellow warning for snow between 5am and 3pm today, with 2in (5cm) to 4in (10cm) predicted in higher parts of Dartmoor.

Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: ‘A northerly airflow will continue to feed snow showers into Scotland over the next few days, with this reaching lower levels at times and bringing the potential for some travel disruption.

‘Overnight temperatures will drop below zero fairly widely over the next few days, which has resulted in some ice warnings, with further warnings likely through this week.

‘On Thursday, a mixture of snow, sleet and rain is likely to affect the southwest which could potentially bring disruption. It’s likely high ground in the area will see snow, with a mixture of conditions likely at lower levels. 2-5cm of snow is possible in places at lower levels, with around 10cm possible over higher parts of Dartmoor.’

Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said there would be brighter skies outside the warnings areas across the country this morning and into the afternoon.

But she added that a ‘severe frost’ was also likely before more ‘bitterly cold’ temperatures this evening.

More than 100 schools or nurseries were closed in Scotland yesterday because of the weather, with 52 shut in the Highland Council area, 51 in Aberdeenshire, 11 in Moray and two in Shetland.

Insurance and roadside assistance company RAC said drivers were suddenly facing ‘some of the worst road conditions we’ve seen all year’ and that a sharp rise in vehicle breakdowns was reported yesterday morning as drivers’ batteries failed.

The AA predicted ‘a major increase in (its) workload’ due to sub-zero temperatures, snow and ice, and urged drivers to check forecasts before travelling and to do so with ‘extreme caution’ in the hardest-hit areas.

RAC Breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: ‘The first taste of winter means drivers are suddenly contending with the some of the worst road conditions we’ve seen all year.

‘With freezing temperatures already causing disruption in the east and north of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and snow showers now affecting regions further south, we advise motorists to plan well as ice forms on untreated surfaces.’