Storm Bert Disrupts Travel Across the UK and Ireland

London, The Gulf Observer: The United Kingdom and Ireland are facing widespread disruptions as Storm Bert brings heavy snow, rain, and strong winds, impacting travel and daily activities.

The storm has triggered yellow weather warnings for wind, rain, or snow across most of the UK, with parts of northern England and central Scotland under a more severe amber warning. Meanwhile, two areas in Ireland have been issued a rare red warning for heavy rain, lasting until 10am.

Key cities such as London, East Anglia, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Hull, and large parts of the Midlands are currently not under any active weather warnings, but the rest of the country is being heavily affected. National Highways has issued a “severe weather alert” for snow across Yorkshire and northeast England, where the weather is expected to impact travel between 5am and 3pm.

In Yorkshire, the A628 was closed overnight in both directions between the A616 Hollingworth and the A57 Flouch due to snow, with the A66 Trans-Pennine route also closed between the A6 and M6 (J40). In Scotland, the Perth Christmas lights switch-on event was canceled by the Perth and Kinross Council due to safety and travel concerns.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern described the storm as a “multiple hazard event,” noting that northern England and Scotland would experience heavy snow from Saturday morning. Snow accumulations could reach 5 to 10cm at lower levels, with up to 40cm in the hills, compounded by strong winds and blizzard-like conditions, making travel hazardous and potentially causing power outages.

Although airports are not expecting significant disruptions, rail services have been affected, with speed restrictions in place on several lines, including the West Highland Line and the West Coast Mainline. ScotRail has canceled several services, including routes between Inverness and Elgin, Aberdeen and Inverurie, and Glasgow Queen Street and Oban. TransPennine Express has advised customers not to travel north of Carlisle on Saturday, while Avanti West Coast has cautioned against traveling north of Preston.

As temperatures rise later in the day, the storm is expected to bring milder air from the Atlantic, leading to a rapid thaw by the afternoon.