Warning: Yellow

To expect: Snow and ice

Affected areas: Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland, Strathclyde

Start time estimate: Tuesday midnight

End time estimate: Tuesday 11pm

The Met Office has announced an updated Yellow snow and ice warning for Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland and Strathclyde across the UK for Tuesday.

The warning is covering parts of Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland, Strathclyde. All local areas affected are listed below.

Snowfall is anticipated to impact the regions, arriving across the areas on Tuesday at around midnight and lasting until 11pm.

The updated Yellow alert for snow and ice was issued at 9:46am on Monday, January 5.

A Met Office forecast said: “An area of snow is likely to move east across central and northern Scotland during Tuesday. Freezing levels may temporarily lift for a time, allowing snow to turn to sleet or rain at lower elevations, before lowering again, with further snow showers likely returning to northern Scotland by the evening. A further 2-5 cm of snow is likely to fall fairly widely, but there is a chance some areas could see a further 10-15 cm, particularly over higher ground above around 200 metres. Accumulations over the Northern Isles are expected to be lower, but ice is expected to remain a hazard on Tuesday morning and again on Tuesday night. Precipitation is likely to fall on to frozen surfaces, particularly during Tuesday morning, bringing the potential for widespread icy conditions to develop.”

What to expect

Possible travel delays on roads stranding some vehicles and passengers; Possible delays or cancellations to rail and air travel; Some rural communities could become cut off; Untreated pavements and cycle paths might be impassable; Power cuts may occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.

What should you do?

Snowy, wintry weather can cause delays and make driving conditions dangerous, so to keep yourself and others safe: plan your route, checking for delays and road closures, amending your travel plans if necessary; if driving, leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off; make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays (warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger). People cope better when they have prepared in advance for the risk of power cuts or being cut off from services and amenities due to the snow. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items. Keep yourself and your family safe when it is icy. Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal to reduce your risk of accidents, slips, and falls. If making a journey on foot, try to use pavements along main roads which are likely to be less slippery. Similarly, if cycling, try and stick to main roads which are more likely to have been treated. Give yourself the best chance of avoiding delays by checking road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area. For further details see Met Office Warnings & Advice.

Full list of local regions affected

Central, Tayside and Fife
Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling

Grampian
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray

Highlands and Eilean Siar
Eilean Siar, Highland

Orkney and Shetland
Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands

Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute

What is an updated yellow weather warning?

The Met Office has three categories of weather warning, depending on the likely impact of severe weather and also how likely it is to strike in a particular area.

A yellow warning is issued when weather conditions are expected to disrupt travel and traffic and may impact on daily routines but are not likely to pose a risk to life or property.

An amber warning is more severe and advises people to think about changing their plans to minimise the risk.

A red warning means weather conditions are expected to be dangerous with widespread damage to property and a risk to life, with the public usually advised to avoid travelling.

The Yellow weather alert for snow and ice will remain in place until 11pm on Tuesday.