Travellers are being warned to expect significant disruption to journeys, following an upgraded amber warning for snow in West Fife.

The Met Office has upgraded its snow warning to amber running from 3pm (Wednesday) to 10am tomorrow.

A yellow warning for snow and ice remains in place for most of mainland Scotland throughout Wednesday and Thursday.

Police Scotland is warning of a high risk of disruption, and the current COVID restrictions mean that people should not be making journeys unless they are for an essential purpose.

Potential impacts of the amber warning include long delays and cancellations on bus and rail travel. Roads may be affected by deep snow, particularly over higher routes, and some rural communities might be cut off. Interruptions to power supplies and telephone networks could also occur.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, said; “There is cold air from the north pushing down the east side of the UK and warm air moving in from the west. Where these two air masses meet a weather front is bringing some heavy rain which is turning to snow in places."

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said:

“The Met Office is telling us to expect a period of challenging weather, with an amber warning for snow and most of mainland Scotland facing potential for snowy and icy conditions over the next few days.

“The conditions will likely cause difficult driving conditions and disruption to the wider transport network, so it’s important that anyone that has to make an essential journey during the warning period plans their journey.

“The current COVID restrictions mean you should only be leaving your home for an essential purpose, so please consider if your journey is absolutely necessary before setting off.

“If you do have to make an essential journey, then you should plan your route in advance, drive to the conditions and follow Police Scotland travel advice. There may be disruption on other modes of transport, so you should check with your operators before setting off.

“Motorists can check with Traffic Scotland to make sure that their route is available. The Traffic Scotland mobile website - my.trafficscotland.org - lets people get the latest information on the move and the Traffic Scotland twitter page is also updated regularly.

“Pedestrians should also be aware that pavements are likely to be affected by ice, so make sure you use the appropriate clothing and footwear if you have to go out for an essential purpose. Preventing slips trips and falls will help to protect the NHS.”