'Severe' weather warning issued

The Met Office has issued a warning about heavy snow in Grampian

Forecasters have issued a severe weather warning across Scotland, with icy roads and heavy snow causing treacherous conditions.

Emergency services urged motorists to take care as heavy snow hit northern areas, and there was black ice on roads across the country.

A total of 90 schools have been closed or partially closed in Aberdeenshire.

Thousands of residents in Kelso endured a night of sub-zero temperatures as gas supplies to the area failed.

Engineers were working to restore gas to 3,000 homes in Kelso and 70 homes in the village of Ednam, after the supply failed on Monday morning.

A spokeswoman for the distribution company Scotia Gas Networks said it was unlikely the gas would be reinstated on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Grampian Police reported heavy snow on roads in the north east.

The spate of road incidents we had early this morning is just another reminder that we are now fully in the winter and road conditions can become horrendous very quickly Dumfries and Galloway Police spokesman

Traffic Scotland also warned of snow and dangerous driving conditions on the A90 and A96.

A police spokeswoman said there had been some minor incidents overnight, with motorists sliding on ice.

Part of the M74 northbound was closed in the central belt near Lanark after an accident on Monday night, but police said it had now reopened.

Bad weather closed nine schools in the Highlands - including Raigmore Primary in Inverness where a pipe burst.

Police forces across the country reported ice and snow on the roads but said there had not been any major incidents.

A number of minor crashes took place on the roads of Dumfries and Galloway.

A gritter lorry slid into a ditch on the A75 near Newton Stewart while a woman suffered slight head injuries after her car left the road near Collin.

Acting Sgt David Dalgleish said: "The spate of road incidents we had early this morning is just another reminder that we are now fully in the winter and road conditions can become horrendous very quickly."

Temperatures are predicted to fall very quickly on Tuesday evening, with a widespread frost across Scotland.

The temperature is expected to fall to as low as -10C in some rural parts of the northwest Highlands.

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