Snow hits Scotland just hours after Storm Gertrude

Police warned of hazardous driving conditions for some areas, with routes affected by the overnight snow fall.

The weather is set to remain unsettled throughout Saturday, with Met Office amber “be prepared” warnings for snow, ice and high winds in place until the evening.

The alerts mostly cover areas north of the central belt while yellow “be aware” warnings were issued for the rest of Scotland.

On the amber warning, the Met Office said: “An active cold front has introduced much colder air across Scotland.

“This airmass is very unstable and producing frequent snow and hail showers, with thunder possible at times.

“Given the showery nature of the snow, some locations may see relatively little, but some locally large accumulations are likely over a short period of time – this more likely across the north and west of the amber area.”

The public were also urged to be aware of difficult driving conditions and disruption to travel.

Police Scotland said routes in Tayside have been affected by snow, with a number of collisions reported during the morning, particularly on the A90.

In Northern Ireland, Orkney and Shetland, and the north of England, the snow and wind warnings are also at the lesser yellow stage.

The north of England, the Midlands and Wales have also been warned to expect ice on untreated roads and pavements, while the south of England can expect further spells of heavy rain.

The continuing misery comes a day after winds of more than 100mph from Storm Gertrude disrupted transport, brought down power lines and damaged buildings.

A rare red Met Office alert was in place for Orkney and Shetland during some of Friday amid wild conditions in the Northern Isles.

Gusts of 105mph were recorded in Shetland on Friday afternoon, while parts of the mainland saw speeds of 60-80mph.

Winds reached 144mph in the Cairngorm mountains, and nacreous clouds, usually seen in polar regions, were also spotted in the north east of Scotland.

Thousands of homes were left without power in Scotland and Northern Ireland after airborne debris and lightning brought down overhead lines and poles.

Friday’s storm saw a man in Edinburgh treated in hospital after he was struck by flying debris, flats evacuated in Clydebank when scaffolding was blown through a roof, and a lorry blown on to a car on the A96 in Aberdeenshire.

In Northern Ireland, the storm blew a pet rabbit up on to a roof in Omagh, Co Tyrone.

All schools in the Northern and Western Isles were closed and train and ferry services were vastly reduced.