Scots are bracing themselves for blizzard conditions as some spots could face up to eight inches of snow across Thursday and Friday amid two weather warnings - and with another issued for the weekend.
The Met Office has issued a fresh alert this morning for snow and ice. The alert will come into place at 5pm today, affecting much of the east coast as well as northern and northeastern areas.
A downpour of flurries have hit the country in a spate of wintry weather this week - and experts warn there's more to come. A separate snow warning in southern Scotland is in effect as of 3am Thursday and lasts until 2pm Friday.
Under the warning for heavy snow, areas across southern Scotland should expect anything from 3cm to 40cm of flurries in higher altitude areas, according to maps shared by the Met Office. And moving into the weekend, more snow could arrive as a further snow and ice warning has been issued impact impacting a large part of Scotland is set on Saturday and Sunday.
It comes after Scotland recorded the coldest night of the year in the early hours of Thursday when temperatures dropped to a bone-chilling -16C in Altnaharra. Arctic conditions have been moving down from the north and northeast, where heavy snow has closed schools and caused travel disruptions this week.
Weather warning areas: Thursday and Friday
Snow warning in southern Scotland
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Scottish Borders
Strathclyde
- East Ayrshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
Snow and Ice warning northern and eastern Scotland
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Dundee
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
Orkney & Shetland
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- West Lothian
Weather warning areas: Saturday and Sunday
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Dundee
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
Grampian
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
- Highland
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Helen Caughey said that wintery conditions could persist towards the end of the week. She explained: "Through Thursday and Friday the snow risk spreads, to central and northern areas of the UK, with the potential of some significant accumulations even to low levels, which have the potential to cause impacts.
"Parts of Northern Ireland, Wales and northern England are expected to see the worst of the conditions develop from early on Thursday, with parts of Scotland and northern England then seeing snow arrive through Thursday afternoon.
"Snow across the northern half of the UK will persist through much of Friday, while further south, any snow will turn back to rain through Thursday afternoon and evening. Strong winds are also expected to develop through Thursday and Friday which may create drifting snow and blizzard conditions in places."
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