Schools in Scotland Remain Closed as UK Weather Warnings Persist
Hundreds of schools in northern Scotland will continue to be closed for a second day due to ongoing snow and ice warnings across the country. The Met Office has issued an amber warning for snow in large parts of north-east and northern Scotland, predicting five to ten centimeters of snow and up to 15 centimeters in certain areas, from 11 am until 7 pm on Tuesday.
A yellow warning for snow and ice is in effect from Perth northwards until midnight on Tuesday, and another yellow warning for snow and ice extends from Scotland's central belt south to the border with England, until 11 am on Tuesday.
This comes as the Met Office reports that the UK experienced its coldest night of the year so far, with a temperature of -12.5C recorded at Marham in Norfolk. Disruptive snow, wind, and rain are expected in southern England this week, as an Atlantic low-pressure front meets an Arctic air mass.
The Met Office forecasts that parts of southern England may see some snow on higher ground on Thursday and Friday, while northern and central areas of England could face more snow, rain, and strong winds, depending on the path of the approaching low-pressure system.
Schools in Shetland, Orkney, and Aberdeenshire will remain shut on Tuesday, after pupils enjoyed an extra day off on Monday due to the weather. Snowy conditions disrupted road, air, and rail travel on Monday, with some train lines shut due to heavy snow on the tracks.
National Rail reported that train services in northern Scotland would be disrupted until the end of the day on Tuesday, although ScotRail confirmed that services on the route between Aberdeen and Dundee would operate in the morning. The areas covered by the Met Office amber warning include parts of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, Angus, and Perth and Kinross.
The warning states: 'A spell of heavy snow is expected to move east across central and northern Scotland during Tuesday, clearing to wintry showers during Tuesday night. A further 5-10cm is expected widely with 15cm in places, particularly above 200 meters.'
On Monday, Loganair canceled flights from Aberdeen and Inverness airports, and several flights to and from Sumburgh airport in Shetland, as well as several departures from Kirkwall in Orkney.
In the yellow alert area, forecasters predict 2-5cm of snow is likely to fall fairly widely, with the possibility of a further 10-15cm in some areas. From the central belt south, forecasters predict 'mainly light snow' with most places likely to have no more than 1-2cm.
