Weather latest: Snowfall prompts driver warning

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Published on 13/02/2013 15:59

MOTORISTS were warned to take extra care today after snow covered much of the country, causing transport disruption and the closure of some schools.

• Yellow “be aware” warnings in place for much of Scotland

• Up to 6in of snow fell on higher ground today

• 24 schools closed in Dumfries and Galloway region

• Several traffic accidents reported, one resulting in death of driver on A916 near Craigrothie

Yellow “be aware” warnings remain in place in most areas as up to 2ins of snow fell in some populated areas and up to 6ins landed on higher ground.

A number of roads around the country were closed or affected by snow, leading to difficult driving conditions and several incidents thought to be linked to the poor weather.

Various ferry services were also cancelled or disrupted by “adverse weather”, including gusts of about 50mph.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service and Tayside Police were among those advising motorists to take care in the hazardous conditions.

A fire service spokesman said: “When driving in snow and ice your stopping distance can be as much as 10 times greater.

“We want to prevent tragedy striking any community in Strathclyde, so we need people to heed the message: slow down, leave bigger distances and plan ahead.”

The warning came after the fire service revealed details of two collisions it had dealt with earlier today.

Strathclyde crews responded to a crash between two buses at Glasgow Cross at about 7.40am.

They provided emergency trauma care to one woman, who was later taken to hospital for a precautionary check-up.

A separate incident on Greenock’s Wellington Street saw firefighters help a woman after her car left the road and hit a building at about 9.25am.

In Fife, police were called to a road accident in an area where weather conditions were described as “very poor”.

One person died following the crash involving a car and a heavy goods vehicle on the A916 near Craigrothie, at about 11.10am today.

Tayside Police urged anyone driving today and overnight to be prepared for potentially challenging weather conditions, and to take the utmost caution.

Police in Dumfries and Galloway said there had been a number of minor bumps and scrapes on roads in the area.

The weather also prompted the emergency closure of at least 24 schools in the Dumfries and Galloway region.

Among those affected by snow or ice were Ae primary, Canonbie primary, Carrutherstown primary and Moffat Academy.

Met Office weather warnings remain in place today for Orkney and Shetland, the Highlands, Western Isles, Grampian, Strathclyde, Central, Tayside and Fife, south west Scotland and Lothian and Borders areas.

The warnings advise of the risk of disruption to travel and urge people to take extra care.

Forecasters said up to 2ins fell in parts of the central belt and Aberdeen overnight and today. However, on higher ground, depths increased.

Snowfall on the Cairngorms was expected to reach up to 6ins while the Southern Uplands saw 2ins to 4ins.

In the Grampian area, several roads were closed, including the A939 Ballater to Corgarff road, the B976 Crathie to Gairnshiel road and the B974 Banchory to Fettercairn route.

Further south, the A821 Duke’s Pass was also closed between Aberfoyle and Brig O’Turk because of snow.

Stephen Davenport, senior forecaster with Meteogroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said strong winds were also leading to drifting in places.

But he said the milder air was already pushing in from the west, bringing with it a possible risk of surface flooding as the snow melts quickly.

Looking ahead, he said it will get warmer for a spell before the cold weather hits again on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

“It certainly will be milder before it turns back to below-normal temperatures,” he said.

“Flooding might be a risk in places, with all this heavy snow followed by rain.”