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Hundreds of schools have been closed in northern Scotland after a weather warning for ice and snow was extended until Friday.
The Meteorological Department has warned that there may be snowfall of up to 10 cm in higher areas.
The office has issued a ‘yellow’ warning for Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland, as well as the Outer Hebrides.
The yellow warning forecast took effect at 12:00 a.m. Wednesday and will remain in effect until 10 a.m. Friday.
On Wednesday night, temperatures dropped from minus 12 degrees Celsius to minus 10.1 degrees Celsius at Tulloch Bridge in the Highlands and Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway.
Following the weather warning, 24 secondary schools, 113 primary schools, 88 nurseries and three special schools have been closed.
In Aberdeenshire, 41 schools are closed while others have had their opening times delayed.
School transport services were suspended and preliminary examinations canceled due to snowfall and poor road conditions in many towns.
The Highland Council area has been hardest hit by school closures, with most schools and nurseries closed for the day.
According to the Met Office, it will be bitterly cold on Thursday night and the lowest temperatures will be recorded in rural Scotland and rural northern England, where there is snow, cloudless skies and very cold winds.
Minus 14C was recorded at Dalwhinnie in the Highlands on January 17, the lowest in January 2024.
Road conditions across northern Scotland have become challenging following fresh snowfall and low temperatures.
The Met Office said: “Snow and sleet will continue for the rest of Thursday, stopping in north west Scotland overnight but continuing across north east Scotland until Friday morning.”
“Further accumulations of 1-4 cm are expected at lower levels away from the coasts, while accumulations of 5-10 cm are possible above 150 metres.”
“Where there has been any minor thawing during the day, there is the potential for icy spills on untreated surfaces.”
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