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Schools closed and roads affected as snow hits Scotland

Conditions in parts of the country are expected to deteriorate during Tuesday

Dozens of schools have been closed after heavy snow affected parts of Scotland, with whiteout conditions in some areas making driving difficult.

Conditions in parts of the country are expected to deteriorate during Tuesday

Almost 50 schools in the north east have been shut, along with 21 in West Lothian, one in East Lothian, eight in Angus and two in Perth and Kinross.

Some Borders schools are also closed and all school transport cancelled.

The Met Office has issued amber alerts for several areas and gale force winds are being forecast.

The warnings cover Grampian, Central, Tayside and Fife, Strathclyde, South West Scotland and Lothian and Borders.

Inverness Airport’s runway was closed until 08:40 but passengers were advised to check in as normal.

The A90 is down to one lane in places between Dundee and Forfar and conditions on the A9 are poor north of Dunblane.

In Dundee the Kingsway is passable only with care, while in the central belt there is snow at Livingston and many routes in the Borders and Mid and East Lothian are also only passable with care.

Drivers have been urged to take care, with disruption to transport and power supplies a possibility.

Blizzards and snow drifting up to 25cm could also be seen over higher ground.

Snowfalls are expected further west and across the Highlands, but these should be less severe than in eastern areas.

The amber alert lasts until 18:00 on Tuesday.

At about 20:30 on Monday there was a four-vehicle accident on the M8 motorway, near the Shotts junction on the eastbound carriageway.

Strathclyde Police said snow and ice were to blame. No one was injured.

The Met Office said: “Five to 10cm is widely expected at low levels in the amber warning area, with 15 to 25cm possible over upland areas.

“Strong to gale force easterly winds will drift the snow, especially over high ground where blizzard conditions are expected and could cause further problems in terms of snow clearance.

“Icy stretches will also develop, especially over upland areas, adding to the hazardous conditions.”

Tayside Police urged drivers to be prepared for a combination of snow, strong winds, and sub zero temperatures.

“Weather conditions are set to deteriorate across Tayside region with rain, sleet and snow, as well as driving winds forecast to last well into Tuesday,” a spokesman added.

Aberdeen City Council said: “Members of the public are advised to allow extra time for their journeys tomorrow morning, dress appropriately for the conditions, and to take extra care when out and about as untreated surfaces may be icy.”

Transport Scotland said its Multi-Agency Response Team was in operation and urged people to pay attention to travel updates.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “The next 24-48 hours look set to be challenging for our transport networks, commuters and the public.

“We are already doing all we can to ensure Scotland is prepared for disruption.”

He added that to date this year, more salt had been used than last winter and new stocks were being delivered regularly.

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