Commuters warned of snow havoc

Mar 19 2013

Commuters have been warned to be prepared for heavy snow and high winds across large parts of Scotland.

Up to 10cm of snow was expected to fall in a short period overnight, creating difficult conditions for travelling, particularly in south, east and central areas.

The Met Office has issued amber "be prepared" warnings for Lothian and Borders, Grampian, Tayside, Central and Fife and yellow "be aware" warnings are in place across the rest of the country.

Each of the major cities will have a covering of snow but the worst conditions will be in the south-east, according to forecasters.

The weather warnings are in place until 6pm.

Julian Mayes, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "The weather looks likely to impact the east mostly, with Dundee down to the Borders seeing the heaviest snow.

"As well as south it will also push west across the central belt and reach Glasgow by morning, meaning most of the country will have some snow. Glasgow could have up to 3cm lying by morning but the Borders is likely to have 10cm with perhaps double that volume in higher parts.

"Snow isn't unusual in March but I think most people will be hoping this is the last of it with spring set to begin later this week."

Transport Minister Keith Brown urged commuters to pay attention to travel updates throughout the day. "The next 24-48 hours look set to be challenging for our transport networks, commuters and the public," he said. "We are already doing all we can to ensure Scotland is prepared for disruption. Drivers can play their part by planning journeys in advance and using other forms of transport where available."

Tayside Police asked drivers in the area to check their cars are able to handle the conditions.