Roads have been closed in Scotland overnight as freezing Arctic air brought snow and ice sweeping in from the north. Yellow weather warnings have been issued for parts of the country, with the Met Office warning of "difficult travel conditions" this morning (March 7) with roads and railways likely to be affected. People should expect longer journey times.
Among the roads being reported as closed by the traffic monitoring website Inrix National in the early hours of this morning was the A93, which has been closed due to snow from School Road to the Spittal of Glenshee turn-off and the A939 between Tomintoul and Cock Bridge, also due to snow.
The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for snow between 3am on Thursday and 6pm on Friday. Its first warning began on Sunday evening for parts of Scotland, covering places including Aberdeen and Dundee, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland. The latest warning covers more of Scotland and a corridor of north-east England that extends to Newcastle upon Tyne and Yorkshire.
For today (March 7), the area extends to cover Strathclyde. Frequent snow is expected, with northern Scotland experiencing frequent and often heavy snow showers.
The Met Office said there was "slight chance" that rural communities could be cut off, adding that cuts to power and phone services were possible. It said that tonight could be the coldest of the year so far with lows of -15C in some sheltered Scottish glens, especially where there is fresh snow cover.
“Temperatures will be much, much colder than we would expect at this time of year," said the Met Office. “The pattern will set in for some time. We have got this feed of cold air coming in from a much higher latitude.
“We expect these conditions to remain in place until at least next weekend and possibly longer because sometimes these conditions can be quite stubborn and not easily subject to change.”
Dale Hipkiss, National Network Manager at National Highways, said people should keep warm clothes and a torch in their car in case they get stuck in icy conditions.
He said: “Freezing conditions bring so many hazards such as snow and ice. Take every possible step to understand your journey in advance and allow lots of extra time when travelling to prepare for the unexpected."
James Coles of Scottish Mountain Rescue and Team Leader at Moffat Mountain Rescue said: “The UK is entering a period of increasingly challenging weather conditions with snow, ice and gusty winds all featuring prominently in the forecast for the coming week. Upland areas, especially in the mountains, can see conditions change very rapidly and they may be markedly different from surrounding lowland areas.”
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