Disruption to travel set to continue after severe weather warning expires
Disruption to travel across parts of Scotland is set to continue even after the expiry of a severe weather warning.
A number of rail and bus services in the amber alert area have been suspended throughout Friday morning over concerns for safety of staff and passengers.
But Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said roads teams will need time to make routes safe even after the Met Office snow warning expires at 10am and advised motorists to avoid travel.
Do not make unnecessary journeys through the morning as snow will be deep and treacherous. Take care and stay #weatherawarepic.twitter.com/HHOCUxbu8c
-- Met Office (@metoffice) March 1, 2018
He tweeted: "Please don't assume on Fri 10.01am that trunk road network will be completely clear.
"Gritters etc will need time for post Red/Amber recovery."
Troops have been called into transport medics to and from Edinburgh's two biggest hospital's after a request from NHS Lothian to the Scottish Government.
The extreme weather has seen health boards cancel non-essential operations and outpatient appointments on Friday, while NHS 24 has described its operations as being "stretched".
3) Severe Amber lasts until Fri 10am. Please don't assume on Fri 10.01am that trunk road network will be completely clear. Gritters etc will need time for post Red/Amber recovery
4) As always, follow @trafficscotland for updates & heed travel advice
Thank you for your patience!
-- Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) March 1, 2018
Princess Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow also saw tiles fly from its roof under pressure from the extreme weather.
An estimated 1,000 vehicles were stuck on the M80 until Thursday afternoon, with some spending the night in their cars and others abandoning their vehicles on the motorway.
Other major roads such as the M876 and minor routes also faced severe disruption due to crashes and thick snow-cover.
Please don't ignore the travel warnings. This is the #A702 at the moment. The guys are working around the clock to keep the roads open but this is proving difficult with drifting snow #winterready#TheBeastFaeTheEastpic.twitter.com/brULEB1dS1
-- Amey SE Trunk Roads (@SETrunkRoads) March 1, 2018
As difficult conditions are set to continue, flights at Scotland's busiest airports are facing another day of disruption and cancellations.
Glasgow and Edinburgh first called a halt to routes on Wednesday and will be reassessing safety in the morning.
Passengers have been warned to only travel to the airport once they have checked the status of their flight with the airline.
Update: Our plan, weather dependent, is that Edinburgh Airport will be open for those airlines that wish to operate tomorrow. Our staff will be working through the night to ensure that our runway is clear and we have the resources we need. 1/4
-- Edinburgh Airport (@EDI_Airport) March 1, 2018
ScotRail has said no services will be running through the amber alert area until tests are carried out on tracks, while Virgin Trains has said its west coast route to Scotland could be closed while is eastern line will be limited.
Lothian Buses are among a number of operators warning of disruption to its routes on Friday morning, saying none will be running until at least 6am.
Hundreds of schools up and down the country will remain closed, including in East Lothian, West Lothian and Edinburgh.
Glasgow School of Art has also been closed until Monday.
Witnesses due at 15 courts in Scotland have been told not to attend after trials were cancelled over safety fears.
Courts affected include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Livingston, Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, Hamilton, Alloa, Stirling, Falkirk, Paisley, Dumbarton, Airdrie, Greenock, Perth and Coatbridge.