Severe weather warnings have been issued for much of Scotland as the country braces itself for further gales and blizzards. Almost every part of Scotland is expected to experience sleet and snow overnight and on Friday, with the Highlands particularly badly hit. Forecasters warned motorists are likely to face treacherous driving conditions. Ferry passengers also face further disruption, with many services cancelled. Police warned that the weather is likely to get worse overnight, and advised people to take extra care when travelling.


Heavy snow fell across parts of the country on Friday

Rob Hutchinson, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said conditions in the Highlands were likely to be "atrocious." He said winds were likely to ease later on Friday, but that this would bring a drop in temperatures. Mr Hutchinson added: "There is a low pressure system sitting just to the north of Scotland that will move into the North Sea, and this will bring some very strong winds. "There will be strong winds overnight tonight, and all of Scotland is going to see some snow at some point. "The very worst conditions will be in north Scotland. In the Highlands there will be drifting snow and blizzards, and atrocious conditions." The weather caused problems across the country on Thursday.

Fallen trees
The Forth Road Bridge was closed to northbound traffic after a lorry overturned in high winds, though it later reopened to cars only. Gusts of 75mph were recorded in Campbeltown in Argyll, while 55mph gusts hit Glasgow Airport. In the south west, fallen trees led to road closures and blocked a number of minor roads. Around Aberdeenshire, police warned that heavy snows, fallen trees, and a number of other minor incidents were causing problems for motorists. Caledonian MacBrayne said that only two out of 24 of its boats were sailing at any one time on Thursday due to the bad weather conditions.

_{Bron: BBC} | Gewijzigd: 13 februari 2017, 12:23 uur, door Joyce.s