Storm Barbara to hammer the north over Christmas

Scotland and northern England are set for a battering over Christmas as Storm Barbara heads to Britain. Gale-force winds are expected to hit the north on Friday, bringing an end to the calm weather, reports Sky News.The Met Office has issued amber warnings for the west and north of Scotland, with gusts of up to 90 miles per hour forecast. Barbara will clear on Saturday, but another storm will send winds and rain across the north of the UK on Christmas Day.

However, while some sleet and snow could fall on hills, a proper white Christmas is unlikely, says Sky.

Metcheck forecasters warn the change, coming after a mostly calm autumn, will deliver a shock to the system, says the Daily Express, which reports the storm could be Britain's biggest in more than a year."A major pattern change will occur across a large swathe of the Northern hemisphere," a spokesman told the newspaper."The real change is happening out west and is something you should be monitoring if you have travel plans later this week and over the Christmas weekend."There are also Met Office warnings of possible power supply disruption and bridge restrictions, which could cause travel chaos for those departing for Christmas getaways, The Guardian reports.

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The RAC expects around 3.5 million drivers to take to the roads on Friday.