Scotland braced for snow and flooding

A double weather whammy will see a super-strength moon and plunging temperatures wreak havoc across Scotland.

Experts say this weekend’s freak weather combination will see a super lunar tide cause potential mayhem in coastal areas, while plunging temperatures and snow will remind people that winter is far from over.

A string of flood alerts for huge swathes of the country have been issued, which will remain in place until tomorrow.

The west coast is expected to see the worst of today’s super moon tidal wave surge, but the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has also issued flood alerts for Aberdeenshire, parts of the Moray Firth and Speyside.

Elsewhere, the message is simply “stay inside”, as gathering arctic storms are forecast to bring blizzards.

Ken McEwan, a senior meteorologist at the Met Office, said the odd weather is set to be challenging.

“There have been a number of warnings out for flooding for eastern Scotland,” he said.

“There are very high tides but there has not been much wind to get the waves built up. But there will be a south westerly tomorrow which will affect western areas of Scotland and start to build up some significant tides.”

High spring tides are known to occur when the gravitational pull of the sun and moon combine.

This year the pull of the planets is at an 18-year peak, meaning super-surging waves.

In addition to the swell, Scotland is set to get the worst of heavy snow due to hit the UK on Sunday.

Mr McEwan said a front will come from the west this morning, falling first as rain but it will hit colder air and begin to fall as snow.

Later in the day it is due to turn to rain in lower areas.

But in many parts of the country, particularly on higher ground, there could be as much as seven inches of snow.

Motorists are being warned to be prepared. He said: “In central and eastern Scotland one to two centimetres is likely, apart from Aberdeenshire where it might be more.

“There will be significant snowfall and because it is not particularly warm, north of Perth there might be a good deal of snow and rather difficult driving conditions.”

The snow however will provide a late season boost to ski resorts, with Glencoe reporting great conditions.

Snow sports enthusiast Wayne Tyson, 38, of Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, said: “It’s the Scottish ski season that just keeps giving.”