Concern for elderly as wintry conditions see temperatures fall to -11C

Further weather warnings extend into Monday as cold snap continues

Scotland’s leading charity for older people has said it is “very worried” for hundreds of thousands of pensioners enduring the current freezing temperatures and icy conditions without being able to rely on winter fuel payments.

Age Scotland said the current wintry conditions posed a “considerable risk” to the health of older people across Scotland, and urged those concerned about being unable to heat their homes as temperatures plummet to seek help.

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It comes as the current wintry spell saw swathes of the country hit by freezing weather, with widespread icy conditions and the potential for up to 20cm more snow to fall overnight into Monday in parts of the country.

Temperatures at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands fell to -11C on Saturday night and as of 6pm Sunday, three separate weather warnings issued by the Met Office remained in place across Scotland, covering the majority of the mainland and some westerly islands.

A sheep in a North Lanarkshire field following recent snowA sheep in a North Lanarkshire field following recent snow
A sheep in a North Lanarkshire field following recent snow | John Devlin

A yellow warning for snow and ice spans much of the east coast, from the Scottish Borders up to Aberdeenshire, with warnings of disruption as a result of snow showers and icy patches, with some roads and railways likely to be affected. The warning is in place until midday on Monday, with the Met Office advising that even in areas of low elevations, there could several centimetres of snow.

Another yellow warning for snow and ice covering much of the west coast of the country is in place until 11am on Monday, with the Met Office warning of further snow and icy stretches developing, bringing the potential for some disruption, especially to travel. It said that that while further showers across the north and north west of the country will fall as rain, sleet and soft hail, snow accumulations of up to four centimetres could form over higher ground.

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Parts of the central belt, as well as Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Borders, are also subject to a yellow warning for heavy snow on Sunday and overnight into Monday. It is in place until noon on Monday, with the Met Office warning that on higher ground in the Borders and the southern edge of the Lothians, as much as 10 to 20 centimetres of snow could fall. There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off, the Met Office advised.

Two amber weather warnings from the Met Office have been put in place in England and Wales, with three to seven centimetres of snowfall predicted for much of the affected area, mixing with rain at times in lower-lying areas.

Met Office chief forecaster Frank Saunders said: “Cold conditions in Scotland will continue, with snow showers in many coastal areas, and more persistent snow for a time in the southeast.”

Amid the flurry of warnings, Adam Stachura, Age Scotland’s policy director, said there were growing concerns for elderly Scots who may not be using their heating in an attempt to save money.

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“These freezing temperatures and icy conditions pose a considerable risk to the health and wellbeing of many older people across the country,” he said. “We’re very worried for the hundreds of thousands of pensioners in Scotland who previously relied on their winter fuel payment but are facing this winter without it, unsure whether they can afford to turn the heating on when they need it, spending longer in cold homes and eating fewer warm meals as a result.

“Last winter around 1,000 people over the age of 50 were admitted to hospital with symptoms of hypothermia. I really hope that is not replicated this year.”

Age Scotland said it was ‘very worried’ for hundreds of thousands of pensionersAge Scotland said it was ‘very worried’ for hundreds of thousands of pensioners
Age Scotland said it was ‘very worried’ for hundreds of thousands of pensioners | PA

While the majority of the weather related disruption impacted the north of England, Scotland was not immune. Due to adverse weather forecasts of strong north easterly winds, ferry services on the Mallaig to Oban crossing were cancelled, with some crossings between Ardrossan and Arran also cancelled. They were among 17 routes impacted on the Caledonian MacBrayne network as of 6pm on Sunday.

With multiple airports in England closing their runways following heavy snow overnight into Sunday morning, there was a knock on effect at Scottish airports on Sunday morning. An Easyjet flight from Edinburgh to Birmingham - where operations were temporarily suspended to allow for snow clearing and “safety reasons” - was among those cancelled.

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Late on Saturday evening, meanwhile, multiple flights bound for London Stansted were diverted to airports in Scotland, according to the Flight Radar 24 website. They included Ryanair flights from Wroclaw in Poland and Catania in Sicily, as well as a Jet2 flight from Tenerife, which landed in Edinburgh, a Ryanair flight from Dublin that was diverted to Glasgow, and a Ryanair flight from Perugia that landed at Prestwick.

On the railways, some LNER services calling at Edinburgh were subject to delays or cancellation as a result of heavy snow on the network. There was also disruption across multiple ScotRail routes, although there was little indication of the cold weather having an impact. A service between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Shotts was cancelled due to a shortage of train crew, and cancellations impacted services between Glasgow and Gourock as a result of a fault with the signalling system.

ScotRail advised people to check their journeys before travelling on Monday, while Network Rail Scotland said it had locomotives with ploughs standing by at strategic locations, ready to clear tracks if needed.

Motorists travelling south into England also experienced significant disruption as the snow and ice made driving treacherous in places. The A66 in County Durham and Cumbria was closed between the M6 and A1M because of the conditions, while traffic was stopped on the A1M southbound between J61 Bowburn and J60 Bishop Auckland in County Durham due to stranded vehicles on the carriageway before being released just before 10.30am.

Age Scotland urged older people concerned about being able to heat their homes to call its helpline on 0800 12 44 222.

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