Edinburgh weather and travel update: Gritters on patrol as Met Office yellow weather warning for ice in force

Motorists urged to drive with care

A Met Office yellow weather warning for ice is in force today, covering Edinburgh and most of lowland Scotland.

Gritters have been out to treat roads in and around the Capital, but motorists were urged to drive with extra care due to the conditions.

The Met Office said people should expect icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths and warned there could be injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

Gritters have been out treating roads across the area - the yellow warning for ice remains in place all day. Picture: Blair Cameron.

Edinburgh Travel News posted: “It's a cold start with icy conditions across the region. Gritters were out overnight and the morning shift started at 5 to re-treat priority roads and paths. Take care on your travels.”

And BEAR SE Trunk Roads, the contractors responsible for operating and maintaining trunk roads in South East Scotland, tweeted around 6.30am: “Very cold temperatures affecting routes this morning- all treatments completed. We still have 13 gritters out patrolling network for icy conditions and carrying out extra treatments as required.”

The weather forecast for Edinburgh suggested temperatures would not rise above freezing all day and could feel as low as minus 7C at times due to the wind chill. But it is expected to remain dry and sunny. And Thursday is forecast to see similar weather with temperatures around freezing, but no rain and some sunshine.

Tuesday night did mark the coldest night this winter so far. According to provisional recordings by the Met Office, the mercury fell to as low as minus 13C in Glen Ogle, central Scotland.

National Rail warned the wintry weather could affect train journeys all week, with services between Edinburgh/ Glasgow Queen Street and Inverness running to an altered schedule on Wednesday. ScotRail said a normal service is expected to run on Wednesday, bar a handful of changes on the Highland Mainline.