Arctic winds are causing temperatures to drop significantly across Scotland, resulting in some school closures for the fourth consecutive day. An amber weather warning for snow is in place across Orkney, Shetland, and northern Scotland until Thursday night. All schools located on the islands will remain closed, while dozens of schools within Aberdeenshire will be opening late.
Western Isles Council has closed all the schools located there. Other northeast schools are closed, and the public is advised to check with local authorities for the latest information. Another night saw sub-zero temperatures though they didn’t match the coldest night of winter yet -14C on Tuesday. According to the Met Office, Scotland can experience about 40 cm of snow before the weekend.
On the other hand, ScotRail has confirmed Thursday’s canceled services from Dundee to Arbroath, Montrose to Inverurie, and Inverness to Elgin. Services between Inverness and Edinburgh/Glasgow will take 30 minutes longer. Police Scotland has warned of a high risk of disruption in the affected areas.
Downpours of heavy snow are likely to remain across the north of Scotland until the weekend, and an additional yellow warning has been issued by the Met Office for more snow across parts of north, central Scotland on Friday. A possible blizzard condition coupled with frequent, occasionally heavy snow showers affects the Northern Isles and northwest Scotland.
Scotland’s Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop said that winter resilience plans have been active across the country. Neil Hutchison, Executive Manager, Roads, Shetland Islands Council, cautioned drivers to travel only when necessary, given the deteriorating conditions in the area. ScotRail has made changes to the Highland line, and all flights to and from Kirkwall Airport in Orkney were suspended. Stagecoach, meanwhile, has suspended bus services across Tain, Aviemore, Caithness, Orkney, and Skye due to road conditions. The sub-zero temperatures are expected to continue until the weekend
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