Vast swathes of Britain under warnings for up to 8inches of snow & ice TODAY – before Storm Bert’s wrath this weekend

VAST swathes of Britain are nether warnings for snowfall and crystal today.

Parts of Scotland volition beryllium blanketed by up to 8 inches arsenic snow - up of Storm Bert's wrath this weekend, arsenic a information to beingness informing has been enactment successful place.

Airports are besides informing passengers to treble cheque their flights are inactive going up - and program routes carefully.

The tempest is acceptable to scope the UK connected Saturday and the Met Office is expecting it to bring "heavy rain, beardown winds and disruptive snowfall to parts of the UK done the weekend", perchance causing question disruption and flooding.

Last night, the Met Office said overmuch of the UK experienced temperatures adjacent freezing, with the mercury falling arsenic debased arsenic -6C astatine Tulloch Bridge successful Scotland.

Many Brits are waking up to a frost with icy surfaces successful places with respective yellowish warnings for snowfall and crystal successful spot crossed the UK until 10am.

One covering parts of Scotland is successful effect until midday earlier a slew of further yellowish alerts for wind, rainfall and snowfall spell unrecorded tomorrow.

An amber alert for dense snowfall and crystal volition beryllium successful unit betwixt 7am and 5pm connected Saturday successful an country northbound of Scotland's cardinal belt, wherever 10-20cm is apt connected crushed supra 200 metres and perchance arsenic overmuch arsenic 20-40cm connected hills supra 400 metres.

The informing covers parts of Angus, Perth and Kinross, Stirlingshire, Aberdeenshire and immoderate of the Highlands and Argyll and Bute.

Met Office meteorologist Honor Criswick said: "Through into Friday... snowfall showers are acceptable to proceed chiefly astir coastal areas though erstwhile again inactive a fewer feeding inland astatine times.

"There volition besides inactive beryllium plentifulness of autumnal sunshine. Still feeling acold though, peculiarly successful those brisk winds - erstwhile again we're lone looking astatine highs of astir 5C, somewhat higher successful the southbound westbound astir 7C.

"Across the northbound those temperatures struggling to determination past 2-3C.

"As we caput into Friday evening, a alteration is connected its mode arsenic we present Storm Bert moving its mode successful from the Atlantic.

"So we'll spot clouds spilling successful from the southbound westbound with outbreaks of rainfall - dense astatine times by the clip we scope Saturday morning."

Ms Criswick said determination are apt to beryllium "heavy" outbreaks of rainfall passim Saturday, "falling arsenic snow" astatine times crossed bluish parts of England and parts of Scotland.

The wintry upwind affected education, with much than 114 schools unopen successful the Highland Council country connected Thursday due to the fact that of snow, including Inverness Royal Academy wherever pupils were told their prelim exams planned for the time volition beryllium rescheduled.

Almost 40 schools successful Aberdeenshire were besides unopen portion galore others had delayed openings and successful Moray astir 12 were closed and others opened late.

It comes aft much than 100 schools oregon nurseries were closed successful Scotland connected Wednesday due to the fact that of the weather.

South of the border, 89 schools were unopen successful Devon connected Thursday, 18 successful Dorset and 60 successful Cornwall, portion successful Wales astir 10 were closed successful Conwy, 18 successful Denbighshire and 2 successful Wrexham.