Weather warning upgraded to Amber as more snow to hit Scotland

Weather warning upgraded to Amber as more snow to hit Scotland

An amber-level weather warning has been issued for parts of Scotland, signaling intensified wintry conditions expected to bring snow and ice. Set to begin at 03:00 and continue until 14:00 on Sunday, the alert covers a swath of the country stretching from the North East through to Tayside and Central Scotland. Meanwhile, yellow warnings remain in effect for much of the rest of Scotland, encompassing snow, strong winds, and rain, while freezing temperatures are expected to persist through the weekend.

The impact of the severe weather continues to be felt across the region, with over 250 schools closed on Friday. Among these closures, more than 150 are in Aberdeenshire, alongside numerous schools in the Highlands, Aberdeen, and Moray. For many students, this means having spent virtually the entire start of the new term off school. Authorities including the Scottish government, local councils, and police are scheduled to convene later to coordinate responses to the heightened weather conditions.

The Met Office has issued strong warnings about the possibility of heavy and sustained snowfall that could disrupt travel significantly on Sunday. According to their spokesperson, some isolated rural communities face the risk of being cut off due to snow accumulation. They also emphasized a widespread risk of icy surfaces, particularly overnight when temperatures commonly fall well below freezing. Scotland’s justice secretary Angela Constance acknowledged the challenges, noting: “As we enter a second consecutive weekend of weather warnings with continued snowfall and cold conditions forecast, I appreciate parts of Scotland are still not back to normal. While progress on recovery by partners continues at pace, I again want to thank the public for their patience and understanding that full recovery takes time.”

Travel disruptions remain an issue, as seen on Friday when the Inverness-Wick railway line was forced to close and several local roads remained inaccessible. Nonetheless, primary routes in the northern and north-eastern parts of Scotland have been cleared. Aberdeenshire Council has confirmed ongoing issues due to deep snow in certain areas, focusing efforts on digging out and removing snow where it has accumulated beyond the available space on streets. Officials have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and have asked them to aid road condition monitoring by uploading photographs to the council’s online portal, helping to improve situational awareness and response strategies

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