Scotland weather: Storm Chandra closes roads and railways as Met Office predicts more 'unsettled' weather

Storm Chandra brought travel chaos across Scotland on Tuesday with roads closed and trains cancelled, with further disruption expected on Wednesday as wet and icy conditions persist.

A Met Office yellow weather warning for rain and snow covering much of central and north east Scotland expired on Tuesday night, but a yellow warning for ice is in force in southern parts of the country until 10am on Wednesday.

The Met Office named Storm Chandra on Monday as strong winds, heavy rain and snow were forecasted across the UK.

England and Northern Ireland have borne the brunt of the poor weather, with yellow weather alerts remaining in place across much of England on Wednesday.

Much of Scotland are facing rainy and icy conditions | Getty Images

In Northern Ireland, more than 300 schools have been closed and tens of thousands of people are without power.

Four flood warnings were in force across Scotland on Tuesday, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has warned of further potential flooding from surface water and rivers in the north east on Wednesday morning.

The areas covered by Wednesday’s yellow ice alert include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife, Perth and Kinross and the Scottish Borders.

The Met Office said: “Clearing skies Tuesday night will allow temperatures to fall below freezing soon after midnight and on Wednesday morning.

“After the recent wet weather, icy patches are likely to develop on some untreated surfaces.”

The Met Office has forecasted more “unsettled” weather from Thursday, with further showers or longer spells of rain particularly in the southwest of the UK and eastern Scotland.

At least 30 flights at Belfast City Airport were cancelled on Tuesday, including routes to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Loganair also cancelled dozens of flights including several servicing the islands and Glasgow.

A Newcastle-bound flight from Dubai was forced to divert to Edinburgh Airport after attempted to land twice in the northern English city.

Ferry operators CalMac and Stena Line also faced significant disruption across their services with sailings subject to delay or cancellation at short-notice.

On the railways, Network Rail announced speed restrictions on sections of the West Highland Line lasting most of the day due to wind speeds of up to 60mph.

Meanwhile, several routes were blocked due to fallen trees, including services between Glasgow and Oban, and between Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Edinburgh City Council closed Princes Street Gardens as “a safety precaution” amid the high winds, but reopened on Wednesday.

Several roads across Scotland were also closed due to flooding, snowfall and fallen trees.

The A93 to Glenshee Ski Centre was closed in both directions due to heavy snowfall, while the A76 was restricted in both directions due to flooding on the carriageway.

On Tuesday night police confirmed the A82 was closed in both directions north of Spean Bridge due to “a number of fallen trees”.

Earlier in the day, a road in West Lothian was closed after a tree struck a car.

Police also closed a section of the promenade in the town of Dunoon in Argyll and Bute after damage was reported to a waterfront leisure centre.

Storm Chandra comes after Storm Goretti hit the British Isles earlier this month.

The name Chandra is the name for the Hindu god of the Moon, who represents emotions, plants, and the night.

Storm names are chosen by public suggestions and popularity and pronunciation is taken into consideration.