A 'danger to life' wind warning is in place for Scotland on Friday (Image: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Weather maps show 80mph storm heading for Scotland with country braced for gales and snow

by · Daily Record

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Worrying weather maps have highlighted the huge storm expected to smash into Scotland later this week. The weatherfront is being steered towards the UK by an Atlantic jet stream and is predicted to hit early on Friday.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind for the entire west coast of Scotland, with ferocious 80mph gusts forecast in some parts of the country. The worst-affected areas will be coastal and elevated regions, though winds of 50-60mph are expected inland.

The rapidly intensifying low-pressure system is expected to usher in powerful winds, heavy downpours, and snow as it reaches our shores. Overnight into Friday, a huge band of snow will push up from the south west, covering much of Scotland by morning.

Maps from WX Charts, modelled using Met Desk data, show the storm pushing up into Scotland from Wales and Ireland, with Nortern Ireland also covered by the Met Office's yellow alert.

The storm pushing up into Scotland early on Friday morning (Image: WX Charts)

In Scotland, the weather warning - in place from midnight into Friday, January 24, until noon on Saturday, January 25 - stretches from the border with England, through Dumfries and Glasgow, past Inverness, enveloping the entire northern Highlands, and up to Orkney.

Everywhere in western Scotland, including all of the Inner and Outer Hebrides, are within the warning zone.

The Met Office says there is a "danger to life" from falling debris and from giant waves in coastal areas. There is expected to be delays and cancellations on roads and railways, with air and ferry travel also likely to be impacted.

On top of the weather warning, the national forecaster believes the could see them return, with the potential for "a named storm at some point".

Snow is expected to blanket parts of Scotland later this week (Image: WX Charts)

As reported by the Mirror, Deputy Chief Meteorologist Chris Almond from the Met Office said: "A very deep area of low pressure will bring a very unsettled, potentially disruptive, spell of weather to the UK through Friday and into Saturday. Winds will begin to strengthen on Thursday night with the peak gusts forecast through Friday in Northern Ireland and western Scotland.

"The wind will also be accompanied by heavy rain bringing some unpleasant conditions to end the week. We have issued a yellow weather warning for wind, and with several days before the impactful weather, the forecast details are likely to be fine-tuned during the week, so stay tuned to your local forecast and keep up to date with Met Office warnings.

A weather warning is in place for the entire west coast of Scotland for Friday and Saturday (Image: Met Office)

"As the low develops over the Atlantic and interacts with the jet stream it will rapidly strengthen, a phenomenon called 'explosive cyclogenesis', where the central pressure of a low at latitudes in which the UK lies drops 24 millibars or more in 24 hours. This is forecast to happen on Thursday while the system is out over the Atlantic and it will be a mature feature by the time it reaches the UK."

The Met Office warning reads: "A deep area of low pressure is expected to pass close to or across the northwest of the UK on Friday and Saturday. It will bring a spell of very strong southeasterly to southwesterly winds with gusts reaching 50-60 mph inland and 70-80 mph along coasts (and perhaps higher than this in a few locations). The wind strength will gradually ease through Saturday from the south."

Regions and local authorities affected by the Met Office weather warning

Central, Tayside & Fife

  • Perth and Kinross
  • Stirling

Grampian

  • Moray

Highlands & Eilean Siar

  • Na h-Eileanan Siar
  • Highland

Orkney & Shetland

  • Orkney Islands

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

  • Dumfries and Galloway

Strathclyde

  • Argyll and Bute
  • East Ayrshire
  • East Dunbartonshire
  • East Renfrewshire
  • Glasgow
  • Inverclyde
  • North Ayrshire
  • Renfrewshire
  • South Ayrshire
  • South Lanarkshire
  • West Dunbartonshire

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