Full list of all UK schools closed today due to snow and ice
Hundreds of schools will remain closed for a second day as snow and ice cause disruption across the country amid multiple weather warnings.
Temperatures will struggle to rise above freezing as many people return to school or work after the festive period, with the Met Office warning that cold conditions over the next few days will bring a range of dangers.
Two yellow snow warnings and five yellow snow and ice warnings remain in place in Scotland, the North West, the east and southwest of England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Large parts of Scotland faced the worst weather conditions and hundreds of schools in the north of the country remained closed on Tuesday. Schools in Shetland, Orkney and Aberdeenshire will remain closed on Tuesday after pupils had an extra day off following the bank holiday on Monday due to weather conditions.
You can check the status of your child’s school here:
While some flights were canceled, some train lines were also affected.
Yellow snow warnings for the Highlands and Central Scotland are in force from 11am to 7pm on Tuesday, as heavy snowfall is expected to move eastwards across the central and north of the country and turn into showers on Tuesday night. A further increase of 5 to 10 cm is expected widely, with 15 cm in places, especially above 200 m.
The warnings warn of the possibility of increased impacts from severe weather, including travel delays, road and rail closures, power outages and potential risks to life and property.
Separate yellow warnings for snow and ice cover much of the UK, including Northern Ireland, Wales, much of Scotland north of Glasgow, south-west England, north-west England, the Midlands, eastern England and the north-east of England, including the Scottish Borders.
The Met Office said yellow alerts meant the weather could cause at least low-level impacts, including some disruption to travel.
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has also issued a yellow cold health alert as an early warning that adverse temperatures could affect health and wellbeing, and this warning will remain in place in England until Friday.
UKHSA’s head of extreme events and health protection, Dr. Agostinho Sousa urged people to check on vulnerable friends, family and neighbors. He warned: “Predicted temperatures could have a serious impact on some people’s health, leading to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and chest infections, particularly for those over 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”
Police have issued a travel advice following an additional yellow weather warning for snowfall in northern and north-eastern Scotland.
Deputy Chief Constable Alan Waddell said: “Predicted heavy snowfall and icy conditions mean driving conditions are likely to be hazardous in some areas. Our advice is to plan ahead and consider whether your journey is actually necessary during weather warnings. If you must travel please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey.”
Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, said the snow had had a “significant” impact in northern Scotland and “huge efforts” were being made to keep transport running and public services open.
“There is still some disruption to travel at the moment but major roads are open and rail, ferry and air services are working to return to normal as soon as possible,” he said.
“Equally, many schools are closed today but remote learning is available for young people and there are contingency plans in place for affected health and social care services.
“There will be more snow and ice, yellow warnings across much of Scotland and temperatures will remain cold, so impacts, which may include transport issues, will continue to be felt over the coming days and I would encourage everyone to plan ahead, look out for each other and pay close attention to current weather and travel advice.”
