First heavy snow of winter brings rush-hour chaos

● 19 schools closed as north-east hit by falls of up to 5cm

0 A hare with his coat beginning to turn white for the winter sits in the frozen, snowy landscape of the Cairngorms Parts of northern Scotland have been blanketed in a layer of snow as forecasters warned of disruption and plunging temperatures.

The Met Office yesterday issued yellow warnings for icy patches and snow covering swathes of the country’s north.

Police forces across the country issued warnings to drivers to beware of icy roads.

Residents in the north-east of Scotland shared photos and videos yesterday of the fresh

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snowfall on social media platforms. A weather warning for the eastern UK said: “Wintry showers will bring an additional hazard and may lead to two to five centimetres of snow accumulating on ground above 100m, primarily over northern Scotland and northeast England.

“Some roads and railways are likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services.”

Nineteen schools in Aberdeenshire were closed due to the weather. Others were partially shut.

The first heavy snowfalls for the winter contributed to traffic disruption and several accidents.

A car ended up on its roof near Catterline, 25 miles south of Aberdeen.

A number of higher routes were closed completely. There were heavy rush hour delays on main routes heading into Aberdeen and also in the city itself yesterday.

Long delays were reported southbound from the Toll of Birness to Aberdeen. There were also reports of difficult driving conditions on the A90 around Stonehaven.

Delays were reported on the A947 at Fyvie, and between Newmachar and Dyce.

Forecasters at the Met Office issued a fresh round of ice and snow alerts affecting communities across the country.

They said icy patches were likely to develop on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, or where showers cause wash off on treated roads, in the Central, Tayside and Fife regions, as well as Orkney and Shetland.

Occasional heavy and wintry showers, mainly during last night, had been forecast for Dumfries, Galloway, Lothian and the Scottish Borders.

The Met Office staff said journey times may be longer by road, bus and rail. A similar weather warning was been issued for the Highlands and the Western Isles.

Light snow began falling in central London last night, although it did not settle, as November came to an end with bitterly cold temperatures.