Wild, windy... and down to -12
Drivers stuck overnight as snow triggers traffic chaos
SCOTLAND will be gripped by a deep freeze this weekend as temperatures plummet to -12c after days of snow, heavy rain and gale force winds.
Blizzards continued to batter much of the country yesterday, bringing vital transport services to a halt.
But as the stormy weather moves away, sub-zero temperatures are expected to follow.
The mercury will drop to its lowest for two years on high rural ground as bitterly cold Arctic winds move in from the North.
Yesterday, three yellow ‘be aware’ warnings were in force across much of the country as blizzards and 80mph winds left roads closed and motorists and rail passengers stranded.
The Met Office has warned of further travel chaos as more heavy snowfall and wintry showers are expected.
Despite an army of gritting lorries working round the clock to keep many key
‘Engineers working to clear snowdrifts’
routes open, their efforts often proved in vain as snow continued to blanket the Highlands, Grampian, Perthshire and Stirlingshire.
Drivers were stranded on the A9 yesterday morning as flooding closed a stretch of the road north of Pitlochry.
Jamie Duncan and a friend spent the night parked in a layby just outside Blair Atholl after becoming stuck at 9.30pm on Wednesday.
Mr Duncan was trying to return to Inverness to celebrate his 20th birthday.
Yesterday morning he said: ‘We’ve just tried to get back but we’ve been told that it will be four hours before we’re actually allowed to go through.
‘I haven’t had any food all night. I’ve got water from my windscreen washer but we haven’t used that.
‘We’ve got nothing but our jackets, so we turn the car on every so often to heat up a little bit and keep us warm.
‘We were talking to someone a few minutes ago who said that Traffic Scotland had said the road would be open by 6am.
‘But we just went and asked the police officer and he said it will be four hours we’ll have to wait, so I thought we’d go and get a sausage roll from Pitlochry.’
Meanwhile, a train was hit by a landslip at Dunning in Perthshire at 11.30pm on Wednesday as it travelled from Aberdeen to Glasgow.
About 30 passengers, including a baby, had to abandon their journey but no one was injured.
Elsewhere, there was similar misery for commuters as the Tay Bridge was shut because of 80mph winds and Highland trains to Inverness and Perth were suspended due to heavy snowfalls.
Motorists in Oban, Argyll, were treated to a free carwash as 20ft waves crashed on to the seafront and ferry services were suspended.
Train services along the West Coast were also suspended for much of yesterday as strong waves washed uprooted trees onto the track. Network Rail spokesman Nick King said hundreds of engineers, six snowploughs and a snowclearing train were working to restore normal services.
He added: ‘We have engineers out working to clear snowdrifts, working to restore signalling systems and working to bring that line back into full operation.’
Stein Connelly, Traffic Scotland operator manager, said: ‘There have
been some challenging conditions on some of the higher routes overnight and into this morning but the situation is improving.
‘In winter weather we urge everyone to check their route before they set off on their journeys.
‘They should follow police advice and make sure their vehicles are well maintained.’
Around 2,000 properties in South-West Scotland were left without power last night after high winds damaged power lines.
Scottish Power said properties in Stewartry and Wigtown were affected. A spokesman said: ‘Engineers were working to restore power but strong gusts were making work-
‘Challenging on higher routes’
ing at height difficult and in some cases impossible.’
This comes less than week after powerful storms caused more than 100,000 properties to lose power.
As the wind battered most of the country, the Forth Road Bridge was closed to high-sided vehicles.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘Winds have been recorded gusting above 65mph and I urge all motorists to take note of the road safety signs and adjust their route accordingly.’
He added: ‘The Forth Road Bridge is currently closed to high- sided vehicles and that will remain the case until further notice.
‘Anyone who does not adhere to the road safety messages could face charges from the police.’
The travel chaos was compounded after the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) issued 18 flood warnings and six flood alerts as the heavy rain caused ground snow to melt.
Strong winds also caused damaged to buildings as part of Potterrow, in Edinburgh, was cordoned off after cladding on the roof of a building came loose in high winds.
In Glasgow, part of Bath Street in the city centre was closed after metal sheeting fell from the roof of Marks Hotel.
At Polmont Young Offenders Institution in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, high winds ripped off a section of roof.
As blizzard conditions caused further mayhem, forecasters predicted a bitter cold snap will follow, with temperatures plummeting to -12c in rural high ground such as Avie- more, Inverness- shire. Last night, Met Office spokesman Nicky Maxey said: ‘A yellow “be aware” warning for ice and snow is in force from midnight until 12pm on Saturday.
‘There will be frequent showers in northern and western Scotland, with these turning to sleet and snow quite widely.
‘We could see up to 15cm (6in) of snow in some places and these snow accumulations could cause further travel disruption.
‘This will be followed by Arctic winds coming in for the north and it will feel much colder, with temperatures struggling to get over freezing and some places seeing -12c.’
David Faichney, duty hydrology manager for SEPA, said today’s snow and rain is also likely to cause further flooding.
He added: ‘SEPA flood experts continue to keep a close eye on rivers in Easter Ross, Tayside and Dumfries and Galloway, where we have seen high levels over the last 12 hours.
‘The heaviest rain this afternoon will be over the Argyll, western Tayside and Great Glen areas.
‘And given the saturated ground conditions we expect to see rivers responding to this throughout today and into tomorrow.
‘We have received reports of some property flooding in low-lying areas and we will continue to brief our emergency planning and response colleagues as more information comes in.
‘We are also monitoring data for any potential for coastal flooding along the Clyde coast as strong winds continue to be a feature and we are liaising with our partners there.’