Fresh yellow weather warnings for snow and ice have been extended across Scotland until midnight on Tuesday, forcing hundreds of school closures in northern regions and causing widespread disruptions to rail and air travel. The severe conditions hit on Monday as many returned to work after the festive break, with specialist teams and snowploughs working to clear affected transport networks.
The Met Office extended its yellow warning to cover the entire country as far south as Perth, while a separate warning remains in effect until 11am on January 6 for areas from the central belt southwards beyond the border. An earlier amber warning for heavy snow showers covering Shetland, Orkney, parts of the Highlands and Aberdeenshire expired at 10am on Monday.
Hundreds of schools shut across Shetland, Orkney, Western Isles and Aberdeenshire. Dozens more closed in Moray, while Aberdeen city schools shut for the day after initially delaying opening until 11am.
Major rail lines connecting Inverness to Wick, Thurso, Kyle and Aberdeen remain closed due to heavy snow drifts. The Aberdeen to Dundee line is also shut. Network Rail Scotland has deployed multiple snowploughs and specialist teams to clear the tracks.
Gary Hopkirk, route programme director at Network Rail Scotland, said: «Deep snow can pose a serious risk to the railway, and when snow depth exceeds 30cm, trains can't run safely unless fitted with snow ploughs. Our teams are working as hard as they can, however, in some parts the snowdrifts are forming as quickly as we're clearing them. We'll only reopen lines and return to normal operations once we're confident it's safe to do so. We appreciate the patience of passengers while we manage the impact of this heavy snowfall.»
ScotRail maintained operations across most of its network despite the challenging conditions. Mark Ilderton from ScotRail noted: «The Met Office yellow weather warning for snow and ice has been extended until Tuesday, 6 January, covering the entire country. Conditions can change quickly, so we'd encourage customers to plan ahead and check their journey before travelling.»
Loganair cancelled flights from Aberdeen and Inverness airports to Sumburgh in Shetland and Kirkwall in Orkney. Highlands and Islands Airports Limited advised passengers to contact their airline before travelling due to potential schedule impacts.
Road disruptions include the closure of the A90 between Goval and Craibstone at Bogenjoss, while snow gates shut on the A939 between Cock Bridge and Tomintoul.
Heavy snowfall predictions
Forecasters predict 5-10cm of snow widely across Grampian, the north-west Highlands and Aberdeenshire on Monday, with some places seeing 20-30cm. Tuesday could bring a further 2-5cm widely, with the possibility of 10-15cm in some areas. The central belt southwards expects mainly light snow, with most places receiving 1-2cm.
Safety advice and official response
Police Scotland urged the public to reconsider non-essential travel during the weather warnings. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said: «The forecasted heavy snow showers and ice means driving conditions are likely to be hazardous in some areas. Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the weather warnings. [...] If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey. Please don't drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety.»
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney told BBC Radio Scotland's Breakfast programme: «It is tough for people in the north-east of Scotland and the Highlands and islands as a consequence of what has been an acute period of snowy weather over the last few days. There is a very substantial operation in place to make sure transport networks are able to function, and on road and rail there has been extensive work undertaken.»
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop emphasized the timing of the weather system: «We've already seen challenging conditions and freezing temperatures, with more snow and ice on the way for the same areas. Of course, for many, Monday marks a return to work from the festive break. If you have to travel then please ensure your vehicle is winter ready and have a winter kit in your car.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
