48 MORE HOURS OF THIS
Worst weather for 7yrs ... as warning issued till Friday of -11C big freeze
SCOTLAND is braced for a potentially deadly Arctic blast, with some of the worst winter weather in almost a decade set to sweep the country.
A rare amber warning has been issued by the Met Office as much of Scotland faces power cuts, road closures and the potential loss of some mobile phone services.
Police Scotland also took the unusual step of warning people to avoid driving in the severe conditions unless they really need to travel.
It follows a day of chaos on the roads yesterday. The M74, the main route between Scotland and England, ground to a halt after ice and drifting snow left motorists stranded in the outside lanes during the evening rush-hour.
Driver Kenny Lean tweeted: ‘Southbound M74 going nowhere just south of Lesmahagow.
‘Hundreds of cars and lorries waiting to see if anything happens.’
Elsewhere, train services were delayed, flights were grounded and bus services in some remote areas were cancelled.
Up to 11in (28cm) of snow fell in some places, leaving people trapped in their homes.
Among the worst hit areas were Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire; Kilsyth, Dunbartonshire; Dumfries and parts of Ayrshire.
The weather also forced the closure of 72 schools in the Highlands and Dumfriesshire, affecting around 11,000 children.
But the Met Office has warned things are likely to get even worse, with a further 10in (25cm) of snow expected to fall and temperatures likely to plummet to -11C by Friday.
Chief Superintendent Stewart Carle, Police Scotland head of road policing, said: ‘Drivers should ask themselves if they really need to travel when conditions are poor.
‘No one should place themselves at risk on the road and it may be worth postponing your journey or making alternative arrangements.
‘If you are travelling on the roads you should ensure you and your vehicle is adequately prepared for the conditions, making sure you have sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food and water in the event you are delayed for several hours.’
With much of Scotland waking to snow yesterday, the roads network struggled to cope during the morning rush-hour.
Delays were reported on routes including the A9, M9, M80, A720, M77, A7 and M73.
There were also delays on the M8 at Harthill, Lanarkshire, after three lorries became stuck on ice, forcing cars on to the hard shoulder to get past.
Meanwhile, the A9 at Dalwhinnie, Inverness-shire, was closed for two hours after a lorry jack- knifed. And a car in Edinburgh ended up balanced over a street sign after skidding off the road. During the day the M74 suffered multiple problems. Some motorists reported they were at a standstill southbound for more than three hours as gritters struggled to clear the road.
Traffic ground to a halt north of Abingdon when lorries began losing traction in the early
‘Three hours of hell on the M74’
evening. Police Scotland said the situation had been aggravated by a number of collisions. The northbound carriageway was also halted for an hour after a collision.
One driver tweeted: ‘Three hours of hell on the M74 tonight, worst driving conditions I have been in.’
A Transport Scotland spokesman said ‘The difficulty when traffic does build up is for the gritters to get through the traffic to the problem area. Every available vehicle is out in these challenging conditions trying to get traffic moving.’
Gritters were still trying to clear the motorway after 9pm.
Meanwhile, there were reports of residents in Kilsyth being left trapped in their homes after icy roads made it too dangerous to travel. Snow also caused the closure of more than 50 schools and nurseries in the Highlands, while around 20 schools in South Lanarkshire and Dumfries and Galloway were also affected.
Not since the infamous whiteout of 2010 has the country seen so much travel disruption.
The main West Coast rail line between Glasgow and London was brought to a standstill after snow brought down electricity cables between Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, and Carstairs, Lanarkshire. Train operator Virgin re-routed some passengers through Edinburgh.
Air travellers, too, faced problems. Inverness Airport was forced to close for part of the day and at Glasgow Airport, one early morning flight was held up for almost two hours while it was sprayed with de-icer. Ferries were also hit, with operator CalMac forced to cancel sailings on the Tobermory, Mull, to Kilchoan, Argyll, route because of ‘adverse sea conditions and poor visibility’.
The Met Office amber warning is in place until 8am today.
It states: ‘There is an increased likelihood of bad weather affecting you, which could potentially disrupt your plans and possibly cause travel delays, road and rail closures, interruption to power and potential risk to life and property.
‘Amber means you need to be prepared to change your plans and protect you, your family and community from the impacts of the
‘Potential risk to life and property’
severe weather based on the forecast from the Met Office.’
A yellow warning for snow and ice will remain in place for much of Scotland until Friday evening and a yellow warning for high winds has been issued for tonight through to early tomorrow afternoon.
A Multi Agency Response Team (MART) will monitor conditions.
The Scottish Government’s emergency resilience committee also met to co-ordinate the response to the severe weather.
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: ‘The snow and ice is likely to lead to difficult driving conditions, so I’d urge all travellers to take extra time and plan their journeys in advance.’