Red warning lifted, but still major disruption due to snow

The Met Office's red warning for snow across central Scotland has now expired, but an amber warning will be in place until at least 6pm this evening (Thursday).
Snow in Birkenshaw, North Lanarkshire, last nightSnow in Birkenshaw, North Lanarkshire, last night
Snow in Birkenshaw, North Lanarkshire, last night

The Chief Forecaster’s assessment says: “Snow showers will bring variable snow cover, but parts of northeast England and Scotland are expected to see the most frequent snow showers.

“During this time, 5-10 cm of snow is expected quite widely. Where showers become organised though, most likely across Scotland and over the hills of northern England, some places are likely to have an additional 15-25 cm of snow, locally as much as 40 cm.

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“Strong winds will lead to drifting of snow and severe wind chill, while lightning could be an additional hazard, particularly near coasts. This warning has been updated to extend the area further west over parts of Scotland.”

Public and transport services across North Lanarkshire remain badly affected.

All schools remain closed for a second day, all NL Leisure venues will remain closed although it is anticipated Broadwood, Tryst, Time Capsule, Wishaw and Ravenscraig, will open at noon, and all Culture NL facilities are also shut.

Today’s Lanarkshire Business Conference which was due to take place at the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre in Blantyre has been cancelled.

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The DWP says the jobcentres in Bellshill, Cumbernauld and Motherwell will remain closed until noon - payments will still take place as normal, however all interviews will be re-scheduled.

Scotrail has issued a ‘do not travel warning’ and has cancelled almost all services for the day - the only one operating through North Lanarkshire will be a limited service from Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh via Croy will is to be reintroduced at 11am.

Tesco has announced that its store in Cumbernauld will be closed until further notice, as is Motherwell Shopping Centre.

There will be no flights to or from Glasgow Airport until 11am and anyone with travel plans should contact their airline directly for specific flight information.

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First Glasgow is running an hourly assessment of the situation and hopes to get services back to normal as the day progresses.

Humza Yousaf, Minister for Transport, said: “The travel advice could not be clearer – do not travel unless it is absolutely necessary to do so.

“Even after the red warning is lifted, large parts of Scotland will still be subject to high level amber weather warnings for snow. This should not be underestimated.

“An amber warning means there is a real possibility that vehicles and drivers will become stranded – something that we have already seen happen during this period of snow.

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“I strongly urge people to adhere to police advice by avoiding travel in areas with red and amber warnings. I also encourage employers to be as flexible as possible with their staff, allowing them to stay safe and avoid travel.”