Snow and high winds to hit Orkney

December 4, 2017 at 2:46 pm

Orkney could face the brunt of early winter snowstorms, this week, as a low pressure front approaches the UK from the Atlantic.

Orkney could fall victim to an early bout of winter blizzards, later this week. Forecasts for gale force winds and snow may prove to be a dangerous combination, with temperatures set to plummet as the week goes on.

According to the MET Office, the Northern Isles are likely to bear the brunt of a low pressure system currently crossing the Atlantic, which is set to trigger wind speeds of up to 70 mph as it reaches the UK on Wednesday and Thursday.

“Once that low pressure system starts to pull away and heads off to Scandinavia, that allows some colder air to move in and we’ll be into Arctic maritime air mass,” a MET Office spokeswoman explained.

“So temperatures dipping and then some heavy rain, and as we move into Friday and Saturday, there’s a chance that any showers will fall as snow or hail. Combined with the high wind speeds, this could present itself as blizzard conditions.”