Scotland will face snow and icy conditions this weekend.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for parts of Scotland from 7am on Saturday until 9pm on Sunday, with snow and icy conditions expected to cause traffic delays – and with the potential for power supplies and mobile phone coverage to be affected.
Traffic Scotland has advised that gritter trucks will be working around the clock to treat as many roads as possible.
Glasgow Airport was also closed on Friday morning until snow and ice was cleared. It reopened at around 11.30am.
In Shetland, engineers have been working to reconnect thousands of homes which lost power on Monday afternoon as heavy snow brought down lines.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said that as of 9:30pm on Friday, around 700 properties remain without power.
Mark Macdonald, head of region at SSEN Distribution, said: “Today has been about making significant progress as heavy snowfall continued, reconnecting towns and villages area-by-area as we continue to repair, rebuild and restore the local electricity network ahead of our forecasts.
“Our 150-strong team of engineers and contract partners will continue to work this evening and be joined at first light tomorrow by more crews, with everyone focused on working together to restore power as quickly as we can. Thanks to the huge effort today, we’re confident we’ll reconnect the vast majority, if not all, homes by Sunday, with a chance some small clusters will be restored on Monday.
“We recognise that being without power for a prolonged period of time can be challenging, particularly for those most vulnerable. We’d like to thank Shetland Islands Council, our resilience partners and local Shetland communities for supporting those who need it most and pulling together to keep spirits up. If anyone has any concerns for themselves or others, please call us immediately on 105.”
SSEN has noted weather warnings issued by the Met Office and will continue to monitor forecasts to assess the potential impact of further adverse conditions on the network and restoration efforts.
SP Energy Networks has also issued safety advice to help keep customers safe in the event of a power cut caused by forecast snow and ice this weekend.
The company will aim to fix problems as fast as possible, but in the event of travel disruption, it may be harder for engineers to quickly reach faults in the network, so residents in affected areas are being encouraged to prepare.
Craig Arthur, SP distribution director for Central & Southern Scotland, said: “Forecast snow means that potential damage to our power lines is more likely and it’s important our customers are fully prepared, just in case.
“We’re currently mobilising teams of engineers to areas where we expect the weather to have the most impact and our teams are on hand 24/7 to help all of our customers should they find themselves without power.
“If you experience a power cut, please report it to us as quickly as possible by calling the national emergency helpline on 105. The sooner we know about any power cuts, the quicker we can make sure power is restored to anyone impacted.”
