Travel conditions tricky as Scotland hit by heavy snow

Travellers are being warned of a high risk of disruption, after the Met Office upgraded its weather warning for parts of south west and central Scotland.

An amber warning for snow is now in place for Dumfries & Galloway, the western Borders, West Lothian, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, East Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and Glasgow. This amber warning will be valid from 3pm on Tuesday until 8am this morning.

A yellow warning for snow and ice will remain in place for most of Scotland until Friday evening. A yellow warning for high winds has also been issued for Wednesday night through to early afternoon on Thursday.

Traffic Scotland is providing regular updates on social media, as well as through its website and radio broadcasts, with travellers being asked to check the latest information before they set off.

The Multi Agency Response Team (MART) has been operational from Tuesday lunchtime to monitor conditions. The Deputy First Minister and Transport Minister have also chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience operation (SGoRR) to receive an update on the situation.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: “The Met Office has upgraded its snow warning for parts of south west and central Scotland, with the areas affected by the amber warning set to see heavier snow falls and greater disruption to transport.

“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. The high winds forecast for later in the week may also see some bridge restrictions.

“The Trunk Road Operating Companies have their winter maintenance fleets out across the network at this time, working 24/7 to treat the roads and assist motorists when required. We have more gritters available this year than ever before and there is plenty of salt available.

“Our winter control rooms are constantly monitoring conditions, so drivers should use the Traffic Scotland mobile website – my.trafficscotland.org – or the @trafficscotland twitter page to access the most up to date information and to check if their route is affected.

“There may also be an impact on other modes of transport, so if you’re planning to travel by rail, ferry or plane, you should check ahead with the operator to find out if the weather conditions have affected your service.”