Latest news with #BearScotland
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Scotland's dry weather to end with rain and landslide warning
Scotland's five-week stretch of dry weather will come to an end later with heavy rain, hail and thunder expected over the in Argyll have been warned about potential landslides on the A83, with an alternate route to be opened as a agency Sepa has recorded water scarcity across the country after Scotland's driest period in 60 it warned that the incoming rain, which is due from Friday night, is unlikely to be enough to replenish river levels. It said that there would need to be "well above average rainfall" after the prolonged dry also said there had been no rainfall in parts of Fife for more than a month and the east of Scotland was particularly it said that if there was no significant rainfall over the next seven days, the River Esk in Dumfriesshire would be raised to "significant scarcity". In Argyll, the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful is known for its potential for agency Bear Scotland is planning to open the Old Military Road alternative route as a precaution from 20:00 on Friday until Tuesday Scott, Bear Scotland's north west representative, said: "The safety of road users is a top priority and we closely monitor conditions at the Rest and Be Thankful on a daily basis."While the weather has been extremely dry and sunny in recent weeks, our decision to divert A83 traffic is based on the incoming forecast for heavy rain, and our experience of previous events where landslides have occurred during the first heavy rain after extended periods of dry weather." Scotland has enjoyed dry weather for five weeks - the driest start to the year since hottest day of the year so far was 13 May, with temperatures of 25.5C recorded at both Tyndrum in Stirling and Auchincruive in South this spring is so far currently ranking at the driest spring in more than a century, according to the Met Office. BBC Scotland's senior weather presenter Christopher Blanchett said: "It's not rained in parts of Scotland for five weeks thanks to a blocked weather pattern."High pressure has been dominant overhead keeping conditions dry and settled, compressing the air and allowing it to warm. He added: "This weekend will see high pressure relinquish its grip, allowing the Atlantic to roar back to life and send weather systems our way from the west."We'll see a spell of heavy rain on Friday night, followed by an unsettled spell through the weekend and into next week too."There will be frequent showers on Saturday and Sunday with hail and thunder, along with a spell of blustery westerly winds."
BBC News
28-01-2025
- BBC News
Highlands' Kessock Bridge to get £1.5m, 22-week paint job
A five month-long project to paint the Kessock Bridge in the Highlands is due to start on 17 maintenance company Bear Scotland said the task, costing £1.5m, was not expected to cause any delays or other disruption to traffic on the 43-year-old bridge carries the A9 trunk road over the Kessock Channel between Inverness and the Black 30,000 vehicles go over the crossing every day, according to Transport Scotland. Bear Scotland said the painting of steelwork would be done between 07:00 and 17:00 Monday to said some work to clean up coatings of old paint would be done at times overnight from late March into Stewart, of Bear Scotland, said: "This painting work on Kessock Bridge will provide a protective coating over the structural steel, ensuring that the bridge continues to operate safely into the future."Our teams will carry out these works quickly, with safety as our top priority. "We thank the local community and road users for their patience while we complete the improvements." The 1,056m (3,465ft) crossing carries the A9 trunk road over a narrow sea channel between South Kessock in Inverness and North Kessock on the Black took four years to build and cost £25m - the equivalent of more than £100m at current prices with inflation factored the bridge, a ferry had operated across the Beauly Firth between Inverness and South Kessock from the 15th Kessock could also be reached by road from Inverness, but it was a trip of more than 20 miles (32km) around the shores of the Beauly last Kessock ferry sailed in July 1982 when the bridge was opened to traffic, and just weeks before the Queen Mother officially opened the crossing on 6 the time of its completion, the Kessock Bridge was the largest of its kind in was designed by German bridge engineer Hellmut Homberg to withstand extreme weather and potential earthquakes caused by geological movement in the Great Glen geological fault.
