Schools closed and Storm Goretti to hit Britain as temperatures plunge to -12C - LIVE
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for snow for large parts of north-east and northern Scotland
Hundreds of schools will remain closed for a second day as weather warnings of snow and ice continue across the country.
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The Met Office has issued an amber warning for snow for large parts of north-east and northern Scotland from 11am until 7pm on Tuesday, with forecasters warning of 5-10cm of snow widely, and up to 15cm in places.
A yellow warning of snow and ice is in place as far south as Perth until midnight on Tuesday, while another alert has also been issued from the central belt south down beyond the border, until 11am.
In Glasgow, services on the city's subway network were suspended on Tuesday morning after ice on the third rail caused a power failure.
Schools in Shetland, Orkney and Aberdeenshire will remain shut on Tuesday after pupils enjoyed an extra day of holiday on Monday following the festive break due to the weather.
Snowy conditions disrupted road, air and rail travel on Monday with some train lines shut after heavy snow drifted on to the tracks.
National Rail said that train services in northern Scotland will be disrupted until the end of the day on Tuesday, although ScotRail said services on the route between Aberdeen and Dundee would run in the morning.
The areas covered by the Met Office amber warning include parts of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, Angus and Perth and Kinross.
-12C freeze: Key points
- Hundreds of schools closed because of snow and ice
- Temperatures plummet to -12C
- Disruption on roads, air and rail travel with some train lines shut
- Eurostar cancels trains from London to Rotterdam and Amsterdam due to severe weather
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issues amber cold health alerts for England
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Council declares major incident as heavy snow continues
Aberdeenshire Council has declared a major incident as the region deals with ongoing heavy snow.
A Met Office amber warning covers much of Aberdeenshire and the north east of Scotland until 7pm on Tuesday.
The local authority says there is a “good chance” some rural communities will be cut off and there may be power cuts. Schools in the area will be also closed for a third day on Wednesday.
MP calls for army to be mobilised in Scotland amid severe weather
An MP has called for the military to be mobilised to deliver essentials to communities in Scotland cut off by extreme weather.
Andrew Bowie warned the “critical” situation in the north and east of the country has left some without food and medical supplies.
In a letter to First Minister John Swinney, he urged him to “mobilise all available resources” to help those impacted and request military support from the UK Government.
Amber weather warnings in place for northern Scotland as snow set to continue
Amber weather warnings are in place for north and north-east Scotland as snowy conditions in the region are expected to continue into Wednesday.
Wintry conditions are set to persist around Scotland on Wednesday, with yellow weather warnings in place for the rest of the country.
Hundreds of schools in northern Scotland were closed for a second day on Tuesday as the weather caused travel disruption.
School closures: Who decides and what rights do parents have?
Hundreds of schools across the UK have closed due to snow and ice warnings.
Who decides when to close a school?
A school’s headteacher has the power to decide whether to close a school in extreme weather.
The headteacher will decide whether it is safe for the school to open, taking into account issues such as whether enough staff can make it into work, and the temperature in school buildings.
What should I expect from my child’s school while it is closed?
The Department for Education states that schools that decide to close during severe weather should consider a move to remote learning until they are able to reopen.
Can I get time off work if my child’s school is closed?
Parents are able to take time off work for emergencies involving dependants, which include children. This is likely to include a disruption to usual care arrangements such as a nursery or school closing unexpectedly.
While employers may pay employees for time off work to look after dependants, they do not have to.
What do I do if my child’s school is open but I think it is unsafe for them to travel to school?
If parents believe their child cannot get to school safely, they can let the school know they will not be coming in and why as soon as possible in line with the usual procedure for reporting absence.
Scottish football matches postponed
Tonight’s Scottish Premiership clash between Livingston and St Mirren has been postponed after freezing conditions rendered the artificial pitch unplayable at the West Lothian stadium.
Elsewhere, Rangers v Aberdeen is still scheduled to take place in Glasgow at 20:00, though pitch inspections will be carried out ahead of kick-off to assess conditions.
The cold snap has also caused widespread disruption across the Scottish Championship, with four matches called off this evening:
Partick Thistle v Inverness
Arbroath v East Fife
Queen’s Park v Forfar
Stirling Albion v Stenhousemuir
In Pictures: Spectacular snow scenes from around the world
It's not just the UK that's snowed under - Significant snowfall has also been seen around the world, with many centimetres (or even metres) of snow in North America, Europe, and Asia - not that it has stopped people from having fun!
Have a look at our collection of the best snow and ice shots here
A man skies down the hill by the Sacre-Coeur basilica during a snowfall in the Montmartre district of Paris, France'Rise in deaths' amber health warning issued for England
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an amber cold health alert for England.
The warning is set until Sunday January 11.
The UKHSA warns of a 'rise in deaths' due to the cold, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.
Health services will face an increase in demand, with temperatures inside places like hospitals, care homes, and clinics dropping below the levels recommended for assessing health risks.
Regent's Canal freezes over
People walk along a frozen Regent's Canal in central London as temperatures dropped to -8C in central London last night.
Fresh warnings issued for Wednesday
Much of England and Scotland have been issued with an ice warning overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
Northern Scotland has been warning of snow and ice, likely to bring further disruption tomorrow.
Northern Ireland is expected to have clearing skies, but ice patches will bring some disruption.
