Freezing weekend but worst snow to hit south
Scotland shivers as England braced for disruption from heavy snow
Scotland faces a freezing weekend, with more snow in the north and temperatures staying below zero in places.
However, the worst weather is expected in England tomorrow, which could cause significant disruption.
A Met Office yellow – “be aware” – warning for ice and snow remains in force for northern Scotland and the extreme west until 6pm today.
Temperatureswilldipsharply overnight, and could fall as low as -4C in Edinburgh, -6C in Glasgow and -13C in Aviemore by tomorrow night.
However, the Midlands, parts of northern England and north Wales faces the next weather onslaught, where an amber “be prepared” alert has been issued for between 4am and 6pm tomorrow.
The Met Office said as much as 20cm of snow could fall in places, which it described as “a real cause for concern”. A spokesman said: “There is a good chance that some rural communities could become cut off.”
Snowfall across the Highlands included more than 8cm in Aviemore. All schools in Orkney and Shetland were closed for a second day.
Some 18,000 homes across Scotland have had power cuts due to the weather, according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, with all but 500 restored to service.
Theenergycompanywarned its customers to remain prepared for the possibility of further disruption.
Dale Cargill, director of operations, said: “Whilst conditions remain extremely challenging due to the continued high winds, snow and risk of lightning, our teams are working hard to get the remaining customers back on supply.”
Snowhaskeptthea93closed between Braemar and Spittal of Glenshee in Aberdeenshire since early yesterday.
Further north, the A939 between Cockbridge and Tomintoul has been shut since Wednesday night.
Drifting snow also caused rail delays by blocking points between rail tracks at Carrbridge and Tomatin, disrupting Perth-inverness trains.
Aspokesmanforthescotrail Alliance with Network Rail said: “We have had engineers working to clear them, but the weather has been quite poor north of Aviemore.”
A power cut forced rail passengers to be switched to buses between Georgemas Junction and Thurso in Caithness.
Calmac cancelled sailings on five routes, including to Barra, Iona, South Uist and Lewis, with further disruption expected today.
Flood alerts - an early indication of potential flooding remained in force for waves and spray in coastal areas in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.
adalton@scotsman.com