Scotland's weather: More snow and ice until Sunday but wintry conditions could return in run-up to Christmas

Snow and ice warnings will continue for much of Scotland until Sunday night after heavy snow amid an amber alert disrupted travel and closed schools on Friday.

The Met Office has issued further severe weather warnings that include the risk of blizzards and freezing rain, although it said milder conditions would then provide at least a temporary reprieve before another possible cold spell in the run-up to Christmas.

They came as up to 10cm of snow led to the cancellation of 45 flights at Glasgow Airport where the temperature fell to -10C.

A spokesperson said the runway was cleared just after 11.30am but its winter operations team remained in place to monitor weather conditions.

Walkers crossing Ha'penny Bridge over a frozen River Kelvin in Glasgow on Friday. Picture: John Devlin

They said: “While adverse weather conditions can be disruptive and frustrating, the safety of our passengers and people must always come first.”

An amber severe weather warning for snow on Friday morning also saw schools across Scotland shut due to the weather, including some in Aberdeenshire, the Highlands, Perth and Kinross, and South Lanarkshire. Problems on the roads included flooding affecting the M9 near Stirling.

In Shetland, around 150 engineers were working to reconnect some 1,600 homes in parts of Voe, Brae and West Mainland still without power since Monday when heavy snow brought down lines. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution said it hoped to reconnect most by Sunday but some homes in West Mainland, such as west of Bixter, may have to wait until Monday.

A yellow warning for ice will cover much of central and southern Scotland from 9pm on Friday until 11am on Saturday. The Met Office said: “Temperatures (although generally not quite as low as recent nights) will fall sufficiently to give fairly widespread icy surfaces, or frozen snowfall.”

The Kelpies sculptures surrounded by a blanket of snow near Grangemouth on Friday. Picture: David Wilkinson/SWNS

A further yellow warning for snow and ice will be in force for much of the mainland away from the west and north coasts, along with northern England, from 7am to 9pm on Sunday. ScotRail has already cancelled several trains on the Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and Wick/Thurso lines that day due to the forecast severe conditions.

A Met Office spokesperson said: "A band of snow is expected to move north east across the UK on Sunday, in most places lasting two to four hours before turning to rain. Temporary accumulations of 1-3cm are likely at low levels, with 5-10cm more typical across upland areas and isolated 10-15cm on high ground north of the Central Belt.

"Once rain becomes established, all lying snow will melt rapidly. In addition to the snow and ice, strong winds are expected across all parts, with gales or severe gales mainly across high ground. This will lead to blizzard conditions in some areas for a time.

"A brief period of freezing rain is also possible, most likely to impact the Pennines northwards, with a consequent risk of ice accretion on structures and power lines.”

Met Office deputy chief forecaster Helen Caughey added: “It will remain unsettled next week. Although not as cold as we are currently experiencing, we could potentially see a return of some wintry hazards, mainly across higher ground in the north. The unsettled picture means it is still not possible to say with any certainty if we will have a white Christmas Day.”