Temperatures plummet in Aberdeenshire as snow and ice hits schools and travel

Schools across Aberdeenshire were forced to close on Tuesday as snow and ice gripped the north-east.

Temperatures plummeted across the region on Monday night, reaching as low as -11.2C at Braemar, with more cold weather expected throughout the week.

A Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice remains in place until 10am on Wednesday across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, advising that vehicles could be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off.

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Travel disruption has also been seen across the north-east, with a Stagecoach bus in Aberdeenshire also toppling onto its side with a passenger on board in icy conditions in the New Leeds area.

A spokesperson for Stagecoach North Scotland said: "We can confirm that one of our vehicles operating on service X67 has been involved in an incident at New Leeds this morning due to ice on the road."

One passenger was on board at the time of the crash on Tuesday morning, with Stagecoach confirming neither they or the driver were injured.

Aberdeen City Council have confirmed gritters are out on primary routes again on Tuesday afternoon with the road temperatures remaining well below freezing.

A spokesperson said: "Due to the continuous snow and road surface temperatures of from -2.9C to 0C, we are going back to gritting the primary routes just now to ensure they are kept open.

"Primary routes are the main roads and are about 50% of the city's entire roads network."

Residents can plan ahead and see which routes are being treated on the city council's website.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: "With cold Arctic air firmly in place over the UK, continued winter hazards are likely through much of this week, with further updates to warnings likely in the coming days.

"The current focus for upcoming snow and ice risk is from later on Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, with snow showers likely moving in off windward coasts in the north and east, as well as drifting into parts of Northern Ireland and Wales.

"In excess of 10cm of snow is possible over higher ground within the warning areas, with 1-2cm possibly settling at lower levels, which has the potential to lead to some travel disruption. Ice is an additional hazard and is likely to form quickly on untreated surfaces."

The Met Office, which described the conditions as “the first taste of winter”, said cold northerly winds will continue through the week across much of the UK, with further warnings likely.

It added that temperatures were likely to increase from the southwest this weekend, though this will be accompanied by some strong winds and heavy rain.