YELLOW snow and ice warnings have been in place for much of the UK, with people being told to expect frequent wintry showers.
But the transport network is expected to face a further period of disruption after that warning was upgraded to an amber one for snow from early this morning.
The Met Office issued the upgraded amber warning for parts of central Scotland, Tayside and Fife, as well as West Lothian,
East and West Dunbartonshire, and North Lanarkshire. It took effect from 3am today, and is set to run until 9pm.
The yellow warning remains in place for parts of central and eastern Scotland until midnight tomorrow. This could mean long delays and cancellations on bus and rail travel – however, under current Covid restrictions, only essential journeys should be made.
It has also been warned that rural communities could find themselves cut off, with roads affected by deep snow and a risk of interruptions to power supplies and telephone networks.
Transport Minister Michael Matheson said: “We’re being warned that parts of Scotland are expected to face another period of challenging weather, with the Met Office issuing an amber snow warning for today.
“The Covid restrictions mean you should only be leaving your home for an essential purpose, so please consider if your journey is absolutely necessary before setting off.
The forecast conditions will likely cause difficult driving conditions and disruption to the wider transport network.
“If you do have to make an essential journey, then the advice remains the same as it has throughout this winter – plan your route in advance, drive to the conditions and follow Police Scotland travel advice. There may be disruption on other modes of transport, so you should check with your operators before setting off.
“The Traffic Scotland mobile website – my.trafficscotland.org – lets people get the latest information on the move and the Traffic Scotland Twitter page is updated regularly.”
Chief superintendent Louise Blakelock added: “If you deem your journey really is essential, plan ahead and make sure you and your vehicle are suitably prepared by having sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food, water and charge in your mobile phone in the event you require assistance.”
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