Hundreds of homes still without power as snow warning issued

Icy conditions are set to continue across Scotland this weekend as weather warnings are put in place for much of the country.

Snow is likely to fall on Sunday in most areas while a yellow weather alert for ice is in place in Western and central areas on Saturday morning.

It comes after a week in which sub-zero conditions and heavy snow fall left travel plans in tatters and thousands of homes temporarily without power after supply lines were severely damaged.

Around 700 properties on Shetland are still without electricity despite the best efforts of more than 150 engineers working to restore the grid on the isles.

The A85 remained blocked at Dalmally on Saturday morning after cars slid off the road in heavy snow, with several buses to and from Glasgow turned back to their respective departure points before 6pm on Friday evening.

Traffic Scotland advised that gritter trucks will be working around the clock to treat as many roads as possible.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said that as of 9:30pm on Friday, homes in the Brae, Voe and Tresta areas of Shetland were still without power.

Engineers expect to have supplies fully restored by Sunday evening as long as further disruption does not hamper progress.

Helicopters were deployed to locate power lines downed by heavy snowfall after blizzards battered the islands on Monday.

STV News

Mark Macdonald, the firm’s head of region, said: “Our 150-strong team of engineers and contract partners will continue to work this evening and be joined at first light tomorrow by more crews, with everyone focused on working together to restore power as quickly as we can.

“Thanks to the huge effort on Friday, we’re confident we’ll reconnect the vast majority, if not all, homes by Sunday, with a chance some small clusters will be restored on Monday.”

He added: “We recognise that being without power for a prolonged period of time can be challenging, particularly for those most vulnerable. We’d like to thank Shetland Islands Council, our resilience partners and local Shetland communities for supporting those who need it most and pulling together to keep spirits up.

“If anyone has any concerns for themselves or others, please call us immediately on 105.”

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for parts of Scotland from 7am on Saturday until 9pm on Sunday, with snow and icy conditions expected to cause traffic delays – and with the potential for power supplies and mobile phone coverage to be affected in other parts of the country.

Sunday’s snow warning highlighted an “area of concern” in the North, but cautioned that treacherous conditions were likely across most other regions.

The forecast read: “A band of snow is expected to move northeast across the UK on Sunday, in most places lasting two to four hours before turning to rain.

“Temporary accumulations of 1-3 cm are likely at low levels, with 5-10 cm more typical across upland areas and isolated 10-15 cm on high ground north of the Central Belt.

“Once rain becomes established, all lying snow will melt rapidly. In addition to the snow and ice, strong winds are expected across all parts, with gales or severe gales mainly across high ground. This will lead to blizzard conditions in some areas for a time. 

Follow STV News on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country