Cumbria is set to be hit by heavy snow, ice and rain over the next few days.
The Met Office has issued four days of yellow weather warnings for all of Cumbria as Storm Bert hits the country.
Heavy snow and rain due from 4am on Saturday November 23 until 9am on Sunday November 24.
Warnings for wintery showers and patches of ice have also been issued for this evening, overnight and tomorrow, Friday November 22.
The weather forecaster said icy stretches are expected on untreated surfaces and some travel disruption may occur.
Heavy snow is expected on the Saturday followed by a rapid thaw and rain on Saturday night, which the weather forecaster has said may cause some disruption.
It added: “Outbreaks of rain will spread northeastwards on Saturday, preceded by a spell of snow across parts of northern England and Scotland.
“Whilst snow will become increasingly confined to higher elevations with time, there is the chance of a transient period of snow to low levels in some areas, with perhaps as much as five to 10 cm accumulating in places, especially the Vale of York, before turning back to rain.
“Temporary snow accumulations of 10 to 20 cm are possible on ground above 150m, with perhaps as much as 20 to 40cm above 300m.
“In addition, the rapid thaw of lying snow as milder air arrives, with perhaps an additional 20-40 mm of rain in some upland areas during Saturday night, will lead to a greater likelihood of rainfall impacts later in the period.”
Strong winds are also expected and difficult driving conditions are expected, particularly over higher level routes. Power cuts and interruptions are also likely.
What should I expect?
- There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected
- There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off
- There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
- Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services
- Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
- There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life
- There is a small chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel
Why should I care about weather warnings?
Weather warnings are issued to let people know what weather is in store for their area and what its impact could be.
The Met Office is the UK’s official weather service and is responsible for issuing weather warnings to the public.
There are three main levels of weather warning:
- Yellow – which asks people to be prepared for disruption
- Amber – which asks people to change plans that could be impacted by the weather and take action to protect themselves and their property
- Red – which is issued for weather that poses a danger to life and asks people to immediately take direct action to keep themselves and others safe from impacts of the weather
Yellow and amber warnings represent a range of impact levels and likelihoods. This means it is important for people to read each warning to know what level of impact to expect in their local area – and how likely those impacts are to occur.
The Met Office began issuing ‘impact-based’ warnings in 2011 – which means that warnings are issued when the weather may have an impact on people’s day to day lives.
Previous to this, warnings were issued to the public when certain weather thresholds or levels were reached.
Impact-based warnings take multiple factors into account – these include time of day, if it may impact traffic, time of year, if the weather is unusual, if there are any seasonal events taking place and if the area is well equipped to deal with the weather.
Each warning level is designed to help people take steps to minimise the chances of disruption in their lives.
