SCOTLAND is set to suffer a direct hit from a week-long Polar blast, with snow and ice warnings now in place until Friday morning.
Tuesday could see the widest disruption as the whole country is forecast to experience whiteout conditions caused by up to eight inches of snow.
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In addition, forecasters say the mercury could plunge to -15C by the middle of the week, the coldest temperature of the winter so far.
Just a week after returning to class after the New Year break, it’s likely thousands of school children will be told to stay at home, due to dangerous travelling conditions.
Yellow Met Office warnings for severe weather kicked in at midnight on Saturday and some parts of the country are under similar alerts until midnight on Thursday.
Bitterly cold Arctic air is colliding with rain-bearing weather systems coming in from the Atlantic, producing what one forecaster described as ‘unrelenting’ snow in the north.
Tomorrow’s warning sets the scene for the rest of the week.
The warning says the north of the country, the Western Isles and Northern Isles will see extended journey times on the roads and railways.
Icy patches can be expected on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths and there is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.
The warning adds: “There is a slight chance of snow-covered roads leading to stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel.
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“Some injuries can be expected from slips and falls on icy surfaces.”
Tuesday’s 24-hour warning is country-wide, consisting of rain, sleet and snow showers to start with, followed by a “more organised” period of snow.
The Met Office says there is still some uncertainty over where snowfall will be worst.
But the warning adds: “However, there is a chance some places could see 5-10 cm (up to 4 inches) perhaps 20 cm (8 inches) of snow, particularly across the northern half of Scotland and over higher ground elsewhere.”
A 48-hour warning comes into effect on Wednesday morning, lasting right through until midnight on Thursday.
Here, affected areas include Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Western Isles, Highland, Orkney and Shetland, Dumfries and Galloway, Argyll and Bute, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire.
This warning states: “The heaviest and most frequent snow showers will be across northern Scotland during Wednesday morning, before developing across parts of southwest Scotland, Northern Ireland, northwest England and Wales later in the day.
“Snow showers are likely to continue during Wednesday night and well into Thursday.
“While accumulations will vary due to the nature of showers, 2-5 cm (2 inches) of snow is expected in many places.
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“Where showers become more organised, there is a chance some low-lying areas could see 10 cm (4 inches) in a few hours.
“Across northern Scotland, over 20 cm (8 inches) of snow could build up in a few locations.”
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