WIREDGOV

A further meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) has been held to continue to coordinate the recovery response to the severe weather in northern Scotland.  

The meeting was chaired by Justice Secretary Angela Constance and attended by First Minister John Swinney, Cabinet Secretaries, the Met Office, transport operators, Police Scotland, local authorities, resilience partnerships and utilities companies.

An amber weather warning for snow across parts of northern and central Scotland expired at 7pm yesterday but yellow warnings for ice remain in place for much of the country overnight and into tomorrow. Further snow is expected in some areas, and it is set to stay very cold across Scotland for the rest of the week.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance urged people in affected areas to continue to follow advice on staying safe during the extended period of challenging weather.

Ms Constance said:

“The severe weather continues to have a significant impact across parts of Scotland, with some communities in particular bearing the brunt, and the difficult conditions are expected to persist as the week goes on, with further snow in areas, ice across much of the country and ongoing freezing conditions.

“Resilience partners have activated well-tested plans to mitigate the impacts, and partners are working together to provide mutual aid where it is needed, whether that’s helping to get supplies to vulnerable individuals or deploying tractors to the north-east to help clear the roads.

“The latest updates are that good progress has been made on restoration of the transport network. The trunk road network is fully functioning and partners are working to restore affected rail, ferry and air services as quickly as possible.

“Health and social care partners are working relentlessly under considerable pressure to ensure those who need care get it. Around 350 schools were closed yesterday and there will be further closures in some areas tomorrow, with remote learning in place for pupils.

“I would again like to thank everyone across our frontline agencies, voluntary and community organisations, and individuals who have stepped forward to support their communities in very challenging circumstances. I would urge anyone in affected areas to follow the advice on staying safe. Warnings for ice across much of the country are in place overnight into tomorrow so it is vital that people plan ahead to help protect the resilience and safety of the transport network.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation and to engage with local partners in severely affected areas to ensure the necessary steps are being taken to address the difficulties and to provide mutual aid where that is possible. We are also seeking assurances that members of the public are able to access the services they depend upon, both in the public and private sector.”

Background

Met Office weather warnings are available on the Met Office website.

Flood alerts are issued by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and can be viewed on their website. 

Advice on preparing for severe weather can be found on the Ready Scotland website.

Follow Traffic Scotland for the most up-to-date information on the trunk roads throughout the warning periods, via their website, social media channels and radio broadcasts. Updates on ScotRail services and road conditions are available online. 

To report a power cut or damage to electricity power lines or substations call the SP Networks national Freephone number 105. More information on what to do during a storm can also be found on SP Energy Website.