Storm Bella: Snow and ice warning issued for Edinburgh and the Lothians

Edinburgh residents may not have experienced a white Christmas this year, but forecasters are predicting snowfall in the city and across the surrounding council areas on Sunday, 27 December.

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in place for most regions in Scotland including the Lothians, Strathclyde, Grampian and the Highlands.

The cold snap is expected to start from about 3am tomorrow through to 3pm in the north of Scotland, while the south of the country is expected to see the spell of freezing weather from about 6pm tomorrow through to Monday, 28 December.

A statement on the Met Office website confirmed some areas affected by the cold snap will see one to three cm of now, but higher accumulations are likely over higher ground.

Above 250 metres, accumulations of 5-10 cm are possible.

"Whilst skies are expected to clear from the north overnight, icy patches are likely to develop and persist through to Monday morning," the statement added.

Residents living in areas affected by the cold weather have been warned about disruptions to travel and a higher risk of accidents happening due to the icy conditions.

A yellow weather warning for rain has also been issued for the north west of Scotland on Boxing Day with localised flooding likely to happen in areas affected by the downpours.

The bout of extreme weather hitting Scotland, and the rest of the UK, has been named Storm Bella by weather experts.

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