Storm Bert amber snow warning extended in Scotland

A Storm Bert amber informing for snowfall has been extended successful Scotland to screen the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire.

The Met Office alert was already successful spot for parts of the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Angus.

Police Scotland has urged drivers not to instrumentality to the roadworthy connected Saturday - with further yellowish warnings for snow, upwind and rainfall covering astir of the country.

The amber warnings come successful to unit astatine 07:00 with the upwind apt to interaction travel, events and powerfulness supplies successful respective areas.

Transport Scotland said roads whitethorn beryllium affected by heavy snow, peculiarly implicit higher routes, and immoderate agrarian communities mightiness beryllium chopped off.

Scotland's lawman archetypal Minister Kate Forbes powerfully encouraged radical to instrumentality precautions.

She said: “All parts of the Scottish authorities resilience web basal acceptable to respond to the storm.”

Temperatures person dipped beneath freezing each week, with snowfall and crystal settling crossed the northbound of Scotland.

Bear Scotland, which looks aft roads successful the northbound westbound and southbound east, said restrictions whitethorn beryllium needed connected the Skye Bridge, Kessock Bridge, Dornoch Bridge, Cromarty Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge.

The Queensferry Crossing volition besides beryllium monitored for ice.

Ian Stewart, from Bear Scotland, said: “We are afloat prepped and are intimately monitoring conditions and volition enactment rapidly erstwhile required.

"Drivers of high-sided and wind-susceptible vehicles specified arsenic caravans and trailers should instrumentality peculiar attraction and cheque for restrictions.”

Environment bureau Sepa has issued flood alerts covering Aberdeenshire, Dundee and Angus, Tayside, and Dumfries and Galloway.

Councils person already cancelled play Christmas airy switch-on events successful Perth and Renfrew.

Saturday's League Two lucifer betwixt Elgin City and Clyde astatine Borough Briggs has besides been postponed.

ScotRail has urged radical to cheque if their routes are affected passim the weekend.

Ferry relation CalMac has warned that services could beryllium cancelled astatine abbreviated announcement owed to precocious winds.

Some services to Islay and Colonsay person already been cancelled successful anticipation of the terrible weather.

About 30 schools were closed successful Aberdeenshire connected Friday arsenic good arsenic 10 successful the Highlands - and galore others are opening aboriginal successful the day.

Moray Council said it was forced to adjacent 9 schools owed to the weather.

Forecasters person said Storm Bert volition beryllium rather dilatory moving and volition lone commencement to wide from Monday.

Earlier this week, Scotland recorded its coldest aboriginal wintertime temperature since 1998 erstwhile Braemar successful Aberdeenshire reached a debased of -11.2C (-11.8F).