Cold weather

Cold weather disrupting motorists and schools

Police in central Scotland are advising motorists to only make essential journeys

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Temperatures are set to drop well below freezing overnight, bringing further disruption on the roads and the threat of prolonged school closures.

Hundreds of cars are stranded on major roads across central Scotland and some including the M8 remain shut.

Some 900 schools were shut in Scotland, 700 in N Ireland and 70 in Cumbria.

The Met Office is warning of icy roads across the UK and heavy snow in Scotland, N Ireland, north-east England, Yorkshire and Humber.

Temperatures in Scotland could drop to -20C (-4F), with -15C (5F) in the Vale of York and parts of Cumbria.

Up to 6in (15cm) of snow is forecast for parts of Aberdeenshire, the Scottish Highlands and the North York Moors.

Commuters have been enduring another day of travel disruption:

• The M8 westbound between Edinburgh and Harthill will remain closed overnight
• Belfast International and Edinburgh airports are open but passengers are advised to check for delays with airlines. Glasgow is not currently taking in-bound flights and all flights may be subject to delay and cancellation
• On the railways, Scotland's routes are all affected. Many are without trains - or replacement buses - altogether
• Reduced services are operating on the East Coast Mainline, while several local services in Yorkshire were disrupted
• Transport Scotland warns motorists not to travel unless "absolutely essential"

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Many drivers are stranded on the North York Moors following heavy snow showers, where the A171 between Scarborough and Whitby has been closed.

BBC Scotland correspondent James Cook said the westbound carriage of the M8 had been closed for over 24 hours and was covered with thick ice, which a fleet of specialist gritters had failed to shift.

Scotland's Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson apologised after hundreds of drivers were stranded overnight on the M8, with the central belt particularly badly hit by snow.

Strathclyde Police say they are dealing with more than 1,000 vehicles which have either been abandoned or are stuck in the wintry conditions, with 1,000 officers out working in the snow.

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Police say people who have abandoned vehicles should not return to them unless advised to do so. Some vehicles have been removed already and officers are contacting owners to tell them how to get them back.

The AA said it had responded to 13,500 callouts by 1500 GMT and it expected to attend up to 22,000 by the end of the day - more than double the 9,500 on a normal Tuesday.

Since the first widespread snow on 24November, it has dealt with more than 230,000 - a 93% increase on the same period last year.