Scotland's weather: Met Office extends weather warning for parts of Scotland making it the longest weather warning on record

The Met Office has extended the yellow weather warning for snow and ice across Scotland until Sunday, making it the longest continuous severe weather warning since the national weather service introduced the system.

The warning has been extended for Angus, Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray Na h-Eileanan Siar and the Highlands and will be in place for four days and 12 hours in total.

The extension to the warning that was first issued on Sunday surpasses the length of the extreme heat warning that was in place for three days, 23 hours and 59 minutes in August. It comes following Scotland’s first snowfall of the year, which caused disruption and some school closures and delayed openings after the Met Office had issued a yellow weather warning over parts of Scotland from today.

A number of schools in Aberdeenshire were closed or had their start times delayed because of the wintry weather, with Highland Council confirming some closures and delayed starts.

The Met Office have extended their weather warning for much of Scotland

The Met Office confirmed there had been 5cm of snow in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, and at Althnaharra in the Highlands, along with 3cm at Dyce, near Aberdeen.

The extension of the yellow warning states “accumulations of 2-5cm are possible at lower levels, with 10-15cm above 200m, especially across North Highland, Moray and Aberdeenshire.”

Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Willington warned there was an “increasing risk of snow as the week progresses”.

He said: “As an Arctic, maritime air-mass settles across the UK, temperatures will fall with widespread overnight frosts, severe in places, and daytime temperatures only a few degrees above freezing.

“However, the cold air from the Arctic will also bring brighter conditions, with some dry, sunny spells, particularly away from the coast and where winds are light it could feel pleasant in the sunshine. Some patchy freezing fog is also likely.”

Mr Willington continued: “Showers will turn more wintry with an increasing risk of snow as the week progresses, particularly in coastal areas or over higher ground. There will be widespread frosts, with temperatures falling to as low as -10C overnight in isolated spots by the end of the week.”

Roads have also been affected, with Traffic Scotland confirming urging drivers to “take care”. With more snow forecast to fall in the next few weeks, mountain safety organisations are coming together to encourage people to “ThinkWinter” and ensure those heading for the hills and mountains can easily access the right information and advice on safety.

Scottish Mountain Rescue chair Bill Glennie said: “Do go out into the outdoors and enjoy Scotland’s mountains when many would say they are at their finest, but do it safely, with the appropriate skills and equipment.”

Mountaineering Scotland’s senior mountain safety adviser Ross Cadie added: “When winter arrives in Scotland’s mountains, we need to make sure we do our homework before heading out. Planning and preparation from trusted sources and matching your adventure to your level of skill and conditions will help you return home safely.”

Network Rail say a normal service is planned across Scotland on Friday, but with cold temperatures expected into next week, a call will be held to go over the detailed weather forecast.

Motorists have been urged to pack extra provisions in their car, amid a warning icy conditions may result in some slips and falls and there may be icy patches on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.