More snow forecast
Met Office say weather is going to get colder as the week goes on
SCOTLAND is facing more wintry weather this week as forecasters predict further outbreaks of rain, snow and icy conditions.
Several flood alerts and warnings remained in place across the country last night, particularly in areas around Aberdeenshire and Tayside, and motorists are being warned to take extra care on the roads today due to large amounts of surface water.
The Met Office said temperatures will drop this week to levels more expected for this time of year, with most areas struggling to get above 5°C.
Forecaster Greg Wolverson said: “It’s a bit of a mixed bag across Scotland this week as the weather remains quite unsettled. However, we’re not expecting any of the severe weather we’ve had recently.
“Monday will be a fairly cloudy day with outbreaks of rain for much of the country.
“As the week goes on it does get colder. We’re not looking at a sudden drop in daytime temperatures, but it will be colder overnight and we’ll be seeing more frost than we have been in recent weeks.”
The forecaster added that some areas in the Highlands could see temperatures drop to -7°C overnight, but for most towns and cities it will sit just below freezing.
Further wintry showers are also expected towards the north of Scotland.
Heavy snow affected parts of the country over the weekend, with Strathclyde, Lothian and Borders, Tayside and Fife, the Central region and Dumfries and Galloway all seeing flurries of the white stuff.
The predicted ease in the weather later in the week will provide some relief for communities badly hit by flooding during storms over the New Year, with some of the worst affected communities in Aberdeenshire, Tayside and the Scottish Borders.
The clean-up in these areas is continuing and Nicola Sturgeon visited towns over the weekend to see the damage for herself, including in Port Elphinstone in Inverurie where the Rivers Ury and Don burst their banks.
During the visit, the First Minister announced a new £12 million funding boost for those hit by the flooding which will provide a
‘‘ It will be colder overnight and we’ll be seeing more frost than in recent weeks
£1,500 grant for every household, business or charity directly affected.
The announcement came as the Association of British Insurers (ABI) revealed storms Desmond, Eva and Frank have left more than 3,000 families UK-wide in temporary accommodation, while repairs are carried out to their homes,
The association claims the average payout for each domestic flood will run to £50,000 – an increase on the average of £31,000 from the 2013/14 winter storms.
James Dalton, director of General Insurance Policy at the ABI, said: “The December storms have brought devastating flooding to significant parts of the UK. Insurers and their representatives have been there to provide practical help and support as quickly as possible to families and businesses coping with the trauma.”
Meanwhile, an online appeal has also raised more than £25,000 for those affected by flooding in Aberdeenshire.
The appeal has been given the backing of the Queen’s private estate at Balmoral who posted it on their Facebook page.
The JustGiving appeal, https:// crowdfunding.justgiving.com/ Chiels, had initially set a modest £3,000 target, but with 20 days still to run it has raised more than £25,800 from more than 400 pledges.