Inverness-shire is expected to experience lows of -12C overnight as the cold spell batters the country
Parts of Scotland could be blanketed in Snow
The Met Office has issued four urgent weather warnings for snow and ice in many parts of Scotland, warning that higher areas of the country could see 40cm of snow.
Parts of northern Scotland have already seen widespread disruption to roads and railways due to snow, and the national weather agency has warned of a risk of power cuts, communities being cut off, and vehicles becoming stranded.
The Met Office said areas under amber alerts could be hit with 10-20cm of snow at lower altitudes and as much as 30-40cm of snow on higher ground, with winds potentially causing blizzards.
It issued three amber alerts and one yellow snow and ice warning covering the majority of the country as temperatures plummeted for the first week of the New Year.
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The weather experts have warned that the amber warning will end at 12pm on January 3 but the yellow warning covering many parts of the country will be remain in place until 12pm on Monday
Daytime temperatures are expected to remain in the low single figures for much of the country on Saturday, and below freezing in parts of northern Scotland.
Authorities are urging drivers to take precautions before setting off(Image: Getty Images)
Forecasters have warned that parts of the country such as Inverness-shire could see lows of -12C tonight, which is colder than southern parts of Russia which is expected to to dip to -2C.
Met Office chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks said: “Arctic air and brisk northerly winds are gripping the UK as we start the new year.
“Snow and ice warnings remain in force for many areas, with the risk of heavy snow showers, especially across northern Scotland and over higher ground elsewhere, though many inland areas will stay largely sunny and clear.
“Bitterly cold conditions will persist through the weekend and into next week, with daytime temperatures struggling to rise above freezing for some, and overnight lows dipping to minus double figures in places.
“We urge people to stay weather aware, keep up to date with the forecasts and plan ahead as icy roads and slippery surfaces are likely.”
The full list of areas affected by the amber and yellow weather warnings
- Angus
- Dundee
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
- Western Isles
- Highland
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
- Argyll and Bute
- Inverclyde
- West Dunbartonshire
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