Schools across northern Scotland are facing a third consecutive day of closures as severe winter weather continues to cause widespread disruption, with authorities declaring a major incident in one of the worst-hit regions.
Widespread Disruption and Extended Warnings
The Met Office has issued a fresh yellow weather warning for snow and ice, covering the northern half of the country from midnight on Wednesday 7th January until 11:59 pm. Forecasters predict an additional 5-10cm of snow could settle on ground above 100 metres, with higher areas over 200m potentially seeing accumulations of up to 20cm. A separate yellow warning for ice is in place for southern and western Scotland until 10 am on Wednesday.
This follows heavy snowfall earlier in the week, which led to the closure of hundreds of schools on Tuesday. While many are set to reopen, significant disruption persists in numerous areas. All schools and council-run nurseries in Aberdeenshire will remain closed, alongside a number of institutions in Aberdeen, Highland, Moray, Orkney, and Shetland.
Major Incident Declared as Communities Isolated
Aberdeenshire Council took the serious step of declaring a major incident on Tuesday, warning of a “good chance” that some rural communities could be cut off and of potential power cuts. The extreme conditions have severely impacted travel nationwide.
Road, air, and rail services have all been disrupted, with some train lines closed after snow drifts up to 1.2 metres deep covered tracks. National Rail stated services in northern Scotland would be disrupted until the end of Tuesday, with Network Rail Scotland working overnight to clear lines. In Glasgow, the subway network was suspended due to a power failure caused by ice on the third rail, though services on the outer circle resumed by lunchtime.
Temperatures plunged to bitterly low levels, with Dalwhinnie recording minus 11.2C and Tulloch Bridge seeing minus 10.7C on Tuesday night.
Ongoing Response and Public Safety Advice
Police Scotland has warned that the impact of the snow is likely to be felt for several days in the north and north-east. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell urged the public to follow travel advice and, if safe to do so, check on neighbours and relatives.
Ministers, including Justice Secretary Angela Constance, met with police, local authorities, and utility companies on Tuesday to coordinate the response to the severe weather. Constance stated that “difficult conditions” are expected to persist this week, with the government continuing to monitor the situation closely.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney posted on social media, expressing gratitude to public bodies and volunteers for their support. He had earlier praised the “truly exceptional” efforts of farmers and volunteers in clearing roads and assisting stranded motorists, highlighting a “heartening” community spirit in the face of adversity.
