Police Scotland issues travel advice following weather warning for snow across north and northeast Scotland
Police travel advice has been issued following an Amber weather warning for snow across north and northeast Scotland.
The Met Office has issued an Amber weather warning for heavy and persistent snow affecting parts of Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, northeast Perthshire, Easter Ross and Caithness. This warning is in place from 12:00 on Friday, 2 January until 12:00 on Saturday, 3 January.
Previous Yellow warnings for snow and ice remain in place for parts of Mull to Montrose, Dundee, Greenock and Kintyre.
Strong winds will continue, increasing the risk of significant drifting and temporary blizzard conditions. This brings an increased risk of:
- Travel delays on roads, with some vehicles and passengers potentially stranded
- Delays or cancellations to rail and air services
- Some rural communities becoming cut off
- Power cuts and disruption to services, including mobile coverage
Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, Police Scotland’s Head of Road Policing, said: “Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the bad weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve.
“If you need 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.”
Full details of the warning and what you should do can be found on the Met Office website.
Emergency contacts
Power
You can call 105 free of charge in the event of a power cut to report or get information about your area.
Electricity suppliers also provide information on their websites on what to do if your power goes off.
Water supply
You can report issues with water supply to Scottish Water on 0800 0778 778 or find further information on their website.
Flooding
Information on flood alerts and warnings is available through the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. You can find more information on their website.
General advice for road users
• Plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel
• All road users should consider if they really need to travel during adverse weather.
• Consider delaying travel until conditions improve
• If you are travelling on the roads, prepare yourself and your vehicle for the conditions
• Ensure your mobile phone is charged and plan your journey, including an alternative route
• Have sufficient fuel, warm clothing, food and water in case you’re delayed
• Do not ignore road closure signs – they are for your safety
• Congestion caused by vehicles may restrict emergency services and recovery vehicles from providing essential assistance
• Listen to media broadcasts, including radio, for updates Traffic Scotland radio player or visit Traffic Scotland Trunk road traffic updates & route planner
• Follow your local authority for the latest updates in your area via Facebook, X or their website.
• Other information can be found on the Met Office, Ready Scotland. For public transport information visit Traveline Scotland.