Council staff ready as weekend of snow predicted for Edinburgh

GRITTING teams will be out in the Capital today as forecasters warned the Lothians could be hit by as much as 20cm of snow this weekend as a freak weather front continues to move in on Scotland.

Council bosses said around 80 personnel would take to the streets of Edinburgh today to keep roads gritted and traffic flowing ahead of the weekend.

Heavy rain, sleet and hail showers have battered much of Scotland in recent days.

Temperatures could plunge as low as -5C on Sunday night while forecasters have predicted up to ten centimetres of snow in Edinburgh city centre by tomorrow morning.

Capital suburbs, particularly towards the Pentlands and Midlothian, can expect to see 20cm lying by Saturday morning.

Some snow flurries, along with sleet and rain, are predicted again during the day tomorrow, before heavier snowfall takes hold tomorrow night.

Ian Robinson, forecaster at the Met Office's Scotland office, said the weather front could move in as early as rush hour today, catching commuters as they travel home from the city centre.

He said: "As we go through to this afternoon and evening we start to see cloud increasing and outbreaks of initial rain pushing up across the Lothians and into the Edinburgh city area.

"As we go through to this evening we could start to see snow falling on the Pentlands around dusk, which might make for a tricky trek home for anyone on the edge of the city.

"At lower levels, for example Edinburgh city and its surroundings, there is the risk that this rain and sleet with turn to snow."

The forecaster said that the heaviest snowfall was expected to move in overnight tonight, but that winter showers should be expected throughout the weekend.

Mr Robinson said: "During the course of Friday evening and the early hours of tomorrow there is the potential to see a covering of snow, five to ten centimetres across places like Edinburgh city, with perhaps up to 20cm in the hills around the city.

"It'll be rather cloudy and cold throughout Saturday and you'll get the odd sleet or snow showers throughout Saturday.

"Saturday into Sunday there could be more snow showers and temperatures could dip to -5C Sunday into Monday."

From 5am this morning 45 council staff will be operating gritters and snow defences, which will increase to 80 working during the day to prepare for adverse weather this weekend.

A council spokesman said: "We receive bulletins three times every day from the Met Office and are aware of the weather forecast for this weekend.

"Our full winter maintenance arrangements are still in place and staff are prepared if and when the snow arrives."