Scotland weather: Snow disrupts major transport routes

Scottish drivers are facing tough conditions on roads around Scotland after a flurry of snowfall this morning.
A jack-knifed lorry on the A8 was causing delays. Picture: Twitter/Traffic ScotlandA jack-knifed lorry on the A8 was causing delays. Picture: Twitter/Traffic Scotland
A jack-knifed lorry on the A8 was causing delays. Picture: Twitter/Traffic Scotland

According to Traffic Scotland a jack-knifed lorry on the A8 westbound at Newhouse in North Lanarkshire was causing delays.

Visibility was poor on parts of the M74 between Lanarkshire and Glasgow and there were reports of cars losing control on the M77 between junction 1 and junction 6.

Weather warnings from the Met Office remain in place.

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Traffic Scotland said the A702 near Penicuik in Midlothian was closed between Flotterstone and Mauricewood due to “multiple” small accidents in the wintry conditions.

Elsewhere, heavy snow was present on the A85 Glenogle and A83 roads.

Speaking from Traffic Scotland’s control centre, Transport Scotland Operation Manager Stein Connelly, told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme that the picture on the roads was now “improving”.

He said: “We have had some really serious drops of snow, over the last hour or hour and a half, particularly across the central belt.

“We had 158 gritters out last night. We were planning for this. We work closely with the Met Office and throughout the morning we have been working with Police Scotland.”

He added: “Don’t be complacent. Plan your journey and give an extra bit of space between you and the car in front just to be on the safe side.”

Stuart Brooks, of the Met Office, said: “There are some snow showers getting through in the Central Belt.

“It is mainly in the west coast that it has started to lie at lower levels.

“In the Glasgow area the snow started about 6am.”

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A yellow warning for snow and ice was in place until 10am for much of the Central Belt and the Highlands but large areas of the east coast were unaffected.

Several early morning accidents also made driving conditions difficult for motorists.

Mr Brooks added: “The showers will continue to come in, but will become a bit less prominent and will melt later.

“Temperatures have been below freezing overnight, round about -1C, but could become colder at -5C over the next few days.

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