Edinburgh weather: Met Office issues snow & ice warning - travel disruption likely - here’s what to expect

The Met Office has issued a yellow status weather warning for Edinburgh and wider parts of Scotland due to severe weather conditions

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for Edinburgh and parts of Scotland for snow and ice. The current forecast suggests that more snow showers are on the way and surfaces will remain icy.

Edinburgh has seen a good deal of snow, and severe cold conditions over the past week which look set to continue as we approach the weekend. The Met Office report states that Edinburgh can expect: “Snow showers and icy surfaces will bring some travel disruption.”

The Met Office had issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice, but have since extended the alert to Friday warning that snow and icy surfaces will likely bring further disruption.

The cold conditions cannot only cause major travel disruptions, and add extra costs to your bills as prices skyrocket, but can also cause major damage to your home. The Met Office has released seasonal advice on how to best protect your home from frozen or burst pipes which are common during these conditions, including advice on how to avoid it in the future.

So, what is the current weather forecast for Edinburgh? Here’s a breakdown of the latest updates from the Met Office.

When will the yellow weather warning be put in place for Edinburgh?

The snow and ice weather warning will be active between 6am and 11:59 pm on Friday December 16.

What does a yellow weather warning mean?

The Met Office has said that this specific yellow warning for Edinburgh could bring a variety of weather conditions, including flooding and some disruption to travel.

According to the Met Office website, a Yellow and Amber warning can represent a range of impact levels and possibilities. Therefore they ask people to read each warning carefully so they are aware of what they can expect.

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice has been issued for Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Here’s a breakdown of what this specific snow and ice warning suggests for Edinburgh:

• Some roads and railways likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services
• Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces
• Some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths
• A slight chance that power cuts occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage

What is the Met Office weather forecast for Glasgow this week?

Thursday

There will be a few snow showers across the region but the conditions will be otherwise dry, cold and bright with some sunshine breaking through. There will be widespread frost at time. Temperatures are expected to reach lows of -6°C.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday

Snow will push in from the west on Friday and turn to rain in some areas. Further rain and snow is expected across the weekend with snow gradually becoming condoned to higher ground.

Parts of the UK are experiencing severe conditions this weekend, as snow and ice hits Scotland and the south-west of England. A yellow weather warning is in place for snow and ice for Scotland, Wales, and south-west England. On Sunday from 18:00 the warning for snow and ice spreads to include London and the South East. Severe conditions are causing travel disruption and accidents on some motorways.

How to protect yourself and your home this winter

The Met Office has a variety of tips you can use to protect yourself and home this winter.

Here are just a few of the things you can do to help keep the heat during this cold snap:

• Insulating your home not only keeps you warm but will also help to keep your energy costs down.
• Fit draught proofing to seal any gaps around windows and doors.
• Make sure that your loft has at least 10-11 inches (270 mm) of insulation. Any home with 4 inches (100 mm) or less should have it topped up.
• If you have wall cavities, make sure that they are insulated too.
• Insulate your hot water cylinder and pipes.
• Draw your curtains at dusk to help keep the heat generated inside your rooms.
• Make sure that your radiators are not obstructed by curtains or furniture.