Snow warning as Scotland hit by freezing weather

Scotland is continuing to be hit by freezing weather, with rain, sleet and snow expected to fall across large parts of the country.

A yellow alert for snow and ice from the Highlands down to the central belt is in place from 09:00 on Sunday until 06:00 on Monday.

The Met Office also issued a separate yellow warning for snow covering much of the central and southern part of the country from 00:00 on Sunday until 06:00 on Monday morning, while another yellow warning, this time for ice, covers the Highlands and Islands until 10:00 on Sunday.

Forecasters said as much as 15cm of snow could fall in higher areas of the Borders during that period.

They said the rest of the country could expect to see wintry showers and between 1cm-5cm of snowfall away from coastal areas.

Rain or sleet is more likely to fall in the east of Scotland.

In the Highlands, temperatures could “fall widely below freezing” on Saturday evening and in to Sunday morning.

Forecasters urged anyone leaving their homes over the next 48 hours to exercise caution when walking outside due to ice on paths and pavements.

It comes after several days of freezing conditions and a number of weather warnings blanketed parts of the UK in snow.

Temperatures were forecast to drop as low as -10C in some areas.

A Met Office spokesperson confirmed that temperatures reached a low of -8.6C in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire overnight on Friday.

BBC Weather presenter Calum MacColl warned the conditions could cause some disruption.

He said: “From midnight on Sunday, through to 06:00 on Monday, this yellow warning for snow will cover much of southern Scotland, stretching up to parts of the central belt, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk, in to the Edinburgh area too.

“Within this zone, there is scope for about 2-5cm of snow, even to low levels, but there will be significant snowfall across the Southern Uplands, into the Borders, the Cheviots, the Pentlands, where we could see up to 15cm of snow.

“Coupled with a gusty easterly wind, that snow will be blowing around and may drift into some carriageways and blocking some roads, potentially.”

Football matches in Greenock, Elgin and Peterhead were called off due to the conditions on Saturday.

A full card of Premiership fixtures is due to take place on Sunday afternoon.

A more severe amber warning for snow is in place just south of the border between 21:00 on Saturday and midnight on Sunday.

The Met Office said it could lead to serious disruption, including power cuts, road delays, travel cancellations and rural communities being cut off.

Prof Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said: “We’ve had snow across Scotland in the last few days but there is quite a lot of disruptive snow on the way for parts of England, Wales and moving in to Scotland hence that yellow snow warning in place from midnight tonight.”