Commuters warned of more disruption

Jan 22 2013

Commuters are being warned of a second day of disruption with further snowfall expected in parts of Scotland.

Dozens of schools were forced to close on Monday in southern, central and eastern parts of the country, with about 9cm of snow falling in Eskdalemuir in the Borders and similar amounts in Aberdeenshire.

Amber "be prepared" weather warnings from the Met Office remain in place on Tuesday for Tayside, Fife, Grampian and the Highlands.

Borders Council said 17 schools were closed yesterday but they are set to reopen today along with others in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perth & Kinross and Moray.

Tony Conlan, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "The snow will continue intermittently through the early morning, pushing north leaving only the west of the country dry.

"By mid-morning the heaviest accumulations are due to be in Perthshire and Aberdeenshire, and conditions will be quite breezy with a south-easterly wind and low temperatures of -2C generally. But it will be an improving picture by Tuesday afternoon, with Aberdeen and the Highlands the only areas that could experience short snow showers.

"Temperatures will also begin to rise, with around 4C in the west and 2C in the east. The wind will also die down over the next few days and, by the end of the week, conditions will be reasonably mild."

Transport Minister Keith Brown said commuters should continue to plan journeys carefully. He said: "With winter well and truly taking its grip, the very latest forecasts provide a timely reminder to continue to prepare and plan accordingly before setting out. We have seen significant snowfall over the last few days across the eastern part of the country and its impact is being felt.

"While the trunk roads are bearing up well, many local roads are being affected. We are also seeing air services into Scotland from Heathrow being affected due to conditions in London, as well as disruption to some of our ferry services, and cross-border rail services have also been impacted.

"Beyond the transport network, we have also seen a number of school closures in the affected areas today, with the likelihood of more closures in affected areas tomorrow. Parents should check with their schools and councils through their usual local arrangements."