Weather warnings issued as Christmas getaway begins

Yellow warnings for wind have been issued in the North West and the North East of England, Scotland and parts of Wales and Northern Ireland from 7am on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday.

Sunday’s warning will also include London, the South East and South West, the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire and all of Wales and Northern Ireland.

Westerly winds are forecast to pick up over Saturday with 50 to 60mph gusts expected in much of the region, with a small chance of some reaching 80mph.

The strong winds will be more widespread on Sunday, meteorologists said, but the weather will be “exceptionally mild” by Christmas Day.

The Met Office said: “The strongest winds are expected across the far north of Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts in excess of 80 mph in coastal districts including Orkney.

“Dangerous coastal conditions can be expected too, with large waves an additional hazard, especially in respect to causeways. This period of strong winds may lead to some transport disruption, including ferry delays or cancellations.

“Frequent blustery showers will also be a feature on Saturday and may merge into a longer spell of rain for a time in the far north and north-west.

“Those showers could turn to snow on the hills in the northwest of Scotland on Saturday evening, and then overnight and into Sunday.

“Snow will be focused over hills, where several centimetres may fall, but some sleet, snow and hail may fall to quite low levels for a time, bringing possible icy conditions by Sunday morning.”

Transport Scotland said road, rail, air and ferry services are “all likely to be affected by the conditions”.

Douglas Cairns, from Transport Scotland, said: “The strong winds across Scotland this weekend are expected to have an impact on the transport network.

“Road, rail, air and ferry services are all likely to be affected by the conditions, with longer journey times and cancellations possible, as well as potential restrictions on bridges. The network is also expected to be busier than usual, given it’s the last weekend before Christmas.

“As always, we ask travellers to plan their journeys before setting off to ensure they reach their festive celebrations in good time.

Winds will ease by Monday but cloud and rain are expected to move in with increased temperatures.

As a result, “crisp blue skies and snow on the ground” are “decidedly unlikely” over Christmas, the Met Office said.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, Rebekah Hicks, said: “We’ll start to see high pressure to the south of the UK bringing in more settled and much milder conditions from Christmas Eve.

“Christmas Day itself will be cloudy for most, although some eastern areas of the UK, most likely eastern Scotland, may see some clear or sunny spells.

“We could see some drizzle across hills in the west, and some more persistent rain is possible for north-west Scotland but overall, it will be a fairly cloudy, non-descript day.

“Conditions on Christmas Day and Boxing Day look to be exceptionally mild for the time of year, especially in the north.

“East and north-east Scotland, for example, could see overnight temperatures that are 10C above average on Christmas morning.”