Heavy snow and blizzard forecast sparks new Met Office amber weather warning for Highlands
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SWATHES of the Highlands have been warned to brace for heavy snow and blizzards this evening after the Met Office upgraded its warning level to amber.
Shortly before 8.45am this morning, its forecasters issued the upgraded warning, which will come into force at 3pm and run until midnight tonight. An existing yellow warning for snow and ice is already in force in the Highlands and will also remain in place until 9am on Wednesday despite the upgraded amber alert.
The new amber alert applies to large swatches of Sutherland, Ross-shire, Inverness-shire, Moray and much of Aberdeenshire. It extends as far south as Dalwhinnie.
Related: Thousands of pupils hit by school closures
A Met Office spokesman said: "Snow showers will turn heavy and prolonged at times across north Highland through Tuesday afternoon before extending southwards into Grampian on Tuesday evening.
"Accumulations of 10 to 15 cm are possible in places in a short space of time and snow will be drifting in the strong to gale force north to northwesterly winds.
"Isolated thunderstorms are possible with lightning strikes an additional hazard. Showers will turn more to rain or sleet around coasts later with ice developing on untreated surfaces."
The new warning comes after large numbers of schools in the Highlands were hit by weather-related closures on Tuesday - with thousands of pupils expected to remain home.
