The Met Office has issued a rare amber snow warning for parts of Scotland, prompting road safety officials to advise drivers to reconsider travel plans.
The alert, effective from 3 pm on Wednesday to 6 pm on Thursday, covers north-west Scotland and the Northern Isles. Forecasts suggest significant snow accumulation, which could cause road delays and potentially strand vehicles.
Tuesday night marked the coldest January temperatures since 2019, with Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands recording -14°C. In response, hundreds of schools across Scotland were closed on Wednesday.
This includes all council schools and nurseries in Shetland and Orkney, 144 in the Highlands, and around 90 in Aberdeenshire, with some schools delaying their opening times.
Met Office warns of power cuts and road delays with significant snowfall expected.The amber warning predicts up to 20cm of additional snow in some areas, which could lead to power outages and isolated communities.
Yellow weather warnings are also in effect for snow and ice across much of Scotland, northern England, parts of Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Ch Supt Hilary Sloan of Police Scotland advised planning and questioning the necessity of travel during this severe weather. Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop emphasized that winter resilience plans are active and urged travelers to be cautious.
Snow and ice warnings will extend to parts of western and northern Scotland, north-east and eastern England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on Thursday.
The UK is experiencing a cold spell due to an Arctic air mass, with temperatures 5-6°C below average. The Met Office forecasts that up to 40cm of snow could accumulate on high ground in north-west Scotland by Friday.
The cold weather is expected to persist until Friday, after which stormy conditions may develop over the weekend, bringing milder temperatures, rain, and potential additional weather warnings. The UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold health alert, and National Rail has warned of possible disruptions to train services.