Scotland in ‘good state of preparedness’ for winter, MSPs told amid Arctic blast

Scotland has “a good state of preparedness” for the current spell of freezing weather, MSPs have been told.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said councils across the country have “nearly 500,000 tonnes of salt at their disposal” for treating roads and pavements.

With bitterly cold temperatures and Met Office yellow warnings for snow and ice in place across the country, a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room took place on Tuesday morning, but Ms Constance told MSPs “no significant concerns had been raised”.

Pressed by Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr on how prepared frontline services are for the wintry weather, Ms Constance insisted: “We are in a good state of preparedness for winter.”

Her comments came as more than 120 schools were closed on Tuesday due to the weather.

The conditions also caused travel disruption, with Police Scotland urging people to plan ahead before leaving home and “consider if your journey is really necessary”.

National Rail said the wintry weather could affect train journeys all week, with ScotRail advising passengers to check the latest service information and take care when on platforms.

The Met Office said a “cold plunge of Arctic air” has moved south across the whole country over the past few days, making it 5C to 6C lower than usual for this time of year.

In the Highlands Council area, 75 schools were closed on Tuesday, with others partially closed or starting later. Twenty-six schools in Shetland were closed.

There were 22 schools shut in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday, with almost all others in the area either partially closed, opening late, or having to deal with transport issues.

Stein Connelly, head of transport resilience at Transport Scotland, said: “We’re working closely with our colleagues at the Met Office and transport operators to understand the impact of snow and ice across Scotland. We’re well prepared, and have well established plans in place which are now in effect.

“This cold snap is already causing difficult driving conditions in the current warning areas, with further severe impacts anticipated on Tuesday as part of the existing warnings.

“It’s important that anyone that has to travel during the warning period plans their journey in advance and allows extra time.

“Police Scotland’s official travel advice is likely to change at short notice, so it’s important people check the news and follow social media accounts for the latest advice.

“If you have to travel, please drive to the conditions. Consider what kit you might need to keep in your car in the event of those difficult conditions.

“There may also be disruption on other modes of transport, so please check with your transport operator before setting off if you’re planning to travel by rail, ferry or air.”

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said Tuesday could see a “persistent band of snow” over three to six hours across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England and Wales.

He said temperatures on Tuesday night could be as low as minus 15C in some parts.

Northern and eastern parts of Scotland saw the “bulk of the snow” on Monday, with 15cm on the ground at Aberdeen Airport by the evening.

Police have warned people travelling to heed advice.

Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland’s head of road policing, said: “Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during this latest spell of severe weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve.

“If you absolutely have to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey.

“Please don’t drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety.”