Amber turns to yellow, but public urged to take care

Ahead of the current amber warning for snow coming to an end at 10am this morning, members of the public are urged to plan ahead, only travel if necessary and to expect high levels of disruption.

A yellow ‘be aware’ warning remains in force across much of the country, mainly focused on eastern areas, and significant disruption to transport should be expected while services are restored. Extreme cold weather is expected to continue over the weekend and into next week.

A further meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) will be held this morning to ensure preparations and appropriate measures are in place.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “While the extreme weather conditions begin to ease I would urge people to continue to take care and to check for the latest guidance from Police Scotland throughout the day.  Snow showers are still expected throughout the day and a yellow warning is in place throughout today and into the weekend.

“We would expect to see continued disruption to travel and difficult road conditions over the course of the day so I would encourage everyone to check in with travel operators ahead of any journey, and for parents to check school notices with their local authorities.

“Consider if you need to make your journey and if you do set out make sure you are properly prepared with a winter kit, warm clothing, food and drink.

“This has been a challenging few days for people across the country and I must thank our emergency services and those individuals who have gone above and beyond in difficult conditions.”

Police Scotland Superintendent Helen Harrison said: “The multi-agency command centre that we have been running all week to deal with the travel issues the severe weather has brought will be in operation right through the weekend. The snow is not due to stop, and neither will we until we are confident that the risks associated with travelling in the poor conditions have reduced significantly.

“The snow has settled and is not expected to thaw, so extreme care will still need to be taken on the roads towards lunchtime and beyond, as public transport systems also start to operate again. You should still consider if your journey is necessary and think about using buses and trains when they are running or postponing your travel until weather has improved further.

“Make sure you check your vehicle thoroughly before starting your journey to make sure lights, washers and wipers are all working properly and tyres are correctly inflated. Clear all snow from the windows and roof so as not to cause a hazard to yourself and others when driving. There is more information on winter driving as well as making your way safely on foot or by cycle on our website atwww.scotland.police.uk.”

• A map of the area affected can be found on the Met Office website.
• The Scottish Government’s Ready Scotland campaign provides the public with a range of advice and information on preparing for winter weather.
• For real time journey information visit Traffic Scotland or call 0800 028 14 14