Amber warning as Scotland is told to prepare for a freeze

RAIN, sleet and snow are expected to return to Scotland today, with parts of the country issued with “be prepared” warnings.

Central, Tayside & Fife, Lothian and Borders, Strathclyde and the south-west of the country have the Met Office amber warning with snow forecast between 6am and 11am.

Transport Scotland’s Multi Agency Response Team (Mart) will be in operation during the morning rush hour. In other parts of the country, rain falling on to frozen surfaces will increase the risk of ice, particularly in the west and east.

Freezing temperatures could be a problem almost anywhere from this afternoon until the end of this morning.

Transport minister Keith Brown said: “In keeping with our thorough preparations and ‘no room for complacency’ approach, Mart will be open tomorrow to ensure a co-ordinated and effective monitoring and response system is in place.

“Having Transport Scotland, the police, rail operators, road operating companies and the Met Office working side by side and agreeing messages for the travelling public has worked well, but we must stay sharp and keep up the good work.

“In the run-up to Christmas, the pressure to keep our transport network running as effectively as possible is even greater than usual. Businesses depend on roads and rail for deliveries and the public will obviously be out in numbers doing their Christmas shopping.”

Rachel Vince, a forecaster with MeteoGroup UK, said: “Rain and sleet will arrive on the west coast overnight and push east during the morning. Snow will fall on higher ground, but eventually should pass to rain into the afternoon, and this will be the start of a return to more mild weather by midweek.”

The mild weather could last through to next weekend, and bookmakers William Hill are keeping the odds low on a white Christmas.

Aberdeen is the favourite to see snow on Christmas Day at 5/2, cut from an original 6/1.

According to forecasters, the highest chance of snow falling is in the mountains.