Travel warning as snow and ice move in across much of Scotland

Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice could later affect travel in Scotland and northern England, the Met Office has warned.

Scattered showers, sleet and snow are expected; A snow alert is in effect for much of mainland Scotland north of Perth until 18:00.

A yellow ice warning will be in place from 4pm on Tuesday until 11am on Wednesday, covering much of the central belt, southern Scotland and northern England.

A snow and ice warning will then come into force for the whole of northern Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, from 6pm on Tuesday until 9pm on Thursday.

The Met Office said 0.8 inches to 2 inches (2-5cm) of snow was possible on lower levels and up to 4 inches (10cm) on higher ground.

An overnight snow and ice warning is in place for Northern Ireland, as well as ice warnings for Wales and much of England’s Midlands.

In addition, a snow and ice warning covers some east coast regions and west coast regions in England on Wednesday and Thursday.

The United Kingdom Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) also Amber and yellow cold issued health warnings Valid until Saturday for northern England and the Midlands.

The cold will decrease by the end of the week, and temperatures will rise slightly over the weekend and return to average.

Bear Scotland, which maintains Scotland’s main roads, said there were “snow conditions” on some routes in north-west Scotland and snowplows were clearing the A82 and A9 motorways.

Some Calmac ferry services have been affected by weather conditions. some cancellations and delays along routes along the west coast and the Western Isles.

ScotRail has urged people to be careful when traveling and to check the status of all their journeys before setting off.

Gritters were out all night pre-treatment and patrol roads across the country.

Stagecoach said customers will be updated if there are any changes on its app or social media channels.

Meteorology reported that there is a possibility of road closures as well as power outages.

A yellow warning means weather conditions may have some impact on some people, but others can continue as normal.

People are being advised to follow the latest forecasts to work out how much they may be affected, especially if the weather worsens.

The coldest night since March was recorded on Saturday, when temperatures dropped to -7C at Tulloch Bridge in the Highlands.

Kirsty McCabe of the Royal Meteorological Society told BBC Radio: Good morning Scotland program people will notice the “sudden transition” to cold weather.

“November has been well above average so far, with very mild weather felt,” he said. “This is the first cold snap of the season. It’s really quite wintry. We’ve also lifted snow and ice warnings.

“Yes, most of the snow will be over higher ground in parts of northern Scotland, but we could get a pretty strong wintry mix this evening, even moving down to lower levels in the midlands. So we could see a few snowflakes this evening.”

For those traveling to Hampden to see Scotland play Denmark Ms McCabe said World Cup qualifiers could be a bit chaotic in places and there could be “perhaps the odd thunder”.

While the snow is unlikely to settle at lower levels, it could cause disruption, he said.

“It could make roads more slippery in some places and affect travel and trains,” he said.

He added that the cold weather will last until the weekend and temperatures may drop to -10C in some areas as of Friday morning.

However, he said temperatures will return to average over the weekend.

Police Scotland said motorists should ensure their vehicle is roadworthy before setting off.

Scottish transport operators last week announced winter resilience plans.

This involved stockpiling 497,000 tonnes of salt, more than was used in the entirety of last winter, and preparing 240 sanders for salt spreading and snow plowing patrols on the main road network.

So far, November has been quite mild compared to previous years.

Typical night temperatures at this time of year range from 2°C in Scotland to 5°C in the south of England, but they rarely dipped into single digits in the first week of November this year.

Last November, temperatures below -10C were recorded in parts of northern Scotland, including Braemar in Aberdeenshire. It dropped to -11.2C.

This week’s weather will give us an early taste of winter, BBC Scotland Weather’s Christopher Blanchett writes.

The forecast is for 1-2 inches (2-5 cm) of snow on the ground above 500 ft (150 m) in inland areas north of the central belt.

Snow will be heavier on higher ground and elevated road routes, with a greater potential for some disruption.

Some disruption is expected as ice, sleet and snow cause travel problems Tuesday morning and ease by the afternoon.

There is a small area of ​​less cold air in the system, which means there will be snow at higher elevations across much of the central belt and south.

However, as temperatures drop on Tuesday night, snow may drop to lower levels for a while.

Strong northerly winds will increase across the country on Wednesday and Thursday, with frequent snow showers at sea level in the north of Scotland and some of the east and west coasts.

Thursday night saw the country’s coldest spots drop to -10C.