Scots have woken up to blizzard like conditions this morning, as a Met Office warning for snow and lightning remains in effect.

Another ‘danger to life’ alert is in place throughout Thursday for large parts of Scotland, and the Met Office have forecast power cuts and heavy travel disruption.

The warning has been in place since 5pm on Wednesday and will last until 8pm tonight and the combination of high winds and snowfall, and frequent lightning could result in “thundersnow” in places.

Now, the Met Office have updated their forecast and added and additional warning for ice which will extend from 8pm on Thursday until 9:30am on Friday.

Clear skies after heavy snowfall and cold tempratures will cause the big freeze, and icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, could lead to an increased chance of accidents and injuries.

The Northeast of Scotland looked set to miss out on any official warnings but the new alert for ice extends over Aberdeenshire and Moray.

A small chance of injuries and danger to life from lightning strikes remains, and some rural communities could face major power outages and become ‘cut off’.

Travel disruption is also expected with the Met Office predicting rail, air and ferry services to be significantly disrupted and possibly cancelled.

A Met Office Spokesperson said: “Temperatures across Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to drop sharply following a squally band of rain on Wednesday, with frequent heavy and blustery snow showers arriving from the Atlantic.

“Away from immediate west-facing coasts, 1 to 3 cm, and in places 3 to 7 cm of snow is likely to build up even at low levels, whereas on higher ground some places could see 10 to 20 cm building up by Thursday morning.

“The showers will be accompanied by strong, blustery winds, with gusts of 45-55 mph possible, and a chance of 65 mph on coasts. Blizzard conditions are likely over higher ground. There is a small chance that some of the showers could be accompanied by frequent lightning, which could impact power supplies, including some places outside of the warning area.”

As the warning winds down, snow is expected to turn back to rain and sleet on Friday evening.

The high winds and heavy snow have been causing travel disruption across the country this morning, with heavy traffic building up on motorways, and some bridges being temporarily closed. The Erskine Bridge was temporarily shut due to the high winds but has since re-opened.

Scotland’s road maintenance firm BEAR has been out this morning to grit the roads and make driving conditions as safe as possible.

ScotRail have said that services ares expected to be affected by the weather, and have already laid out blanket speed restrictions for certain routes. 

Network Raile added that they are expecting high winds in the central belt but don't expect any major disruption.

For transport to islands on the west coast of Scotland, CalMac Ferries have stated: "All sailings remain liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice."

The impacted areas are:

Highlands & Eilean Siar

  • Na h-Eileanan Siar
  • Highland

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

  • Dumfries and Galloway
  • East Lothian
  • Edinburgh
  • Midlothian Council
  • Scottish Borders
  • West Lothian

Strathclyde

  • Argyll and Bute
  • East Ayrshire
  • East Dunbartonshire
  • East Renfrewshire
  • Glasgow
  • Inverclyde
  • North Ayrshire
  • North Lanarkshire
  • Renfrewshire
  • South Ayrshire
  • South Lanarkshire
  • West Dunbartonshire