Met Office issues upgraded amber warning for high winds when Storm Arwen hits Highlands; alert covers Easter Ross, Caithness, parts of Sutherland and Inverness-shire; separate snow alert also issued for Ross-shire
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WEATHER warnings for high winds in Ross-shire when Storm Arwen hits on Friday have been upgraded to amber by the Met Office – which has also issued a yellow alert for snow.
As well as the already announced yellow warning for high winds across the whole of Highlands on Friday, an amber alert will also be in force for Easter Ross, the Black Isle, Caithness, parts of Sutherland and Inverness-shire, and the Cairngorms – among others.
The amber alert comes into force at 3pm on Friday and will remain in place until 9am on Saturday.
A Met Office spokesman said: "Storm Arwen will bring high northerly winds southwards across Scotland during Friday afternoon and evening, the highest winds then becoming confined to northeast England early Saturday.
"Gusts of 65 to 75 mph are expected in coastal areas with gusts in excess of 75 mph in a few places."
The snow warning meanwhile, covers many inland parts of Ross-shire, Sutherland, the Great Flen and Cairngorms, It comes into force at 2pm on Friday and will remain in place until midnight the same day.
The spokesman added: "Early wintry showers will give way to a spell of more persistent hill and mountain snow during the afternoon and early evening.
"The bulk of snow accumulations will be above 200 to 300 metres and above 300 metres five to eight centimetres snow is possible.
"Snow will be accompanied by high winds giving blizzard conditions at times and causing some drifting of snow."
The already issued yellow warning for high winds, meanwhile, runs from 9am on Friday until midnight on the same day.
