Snow disruption warning stepped down

The A75 became blocked by jacknifed lorries at a number of points including Gatehouse of Fleet

Drivers across Scotland are being advised to "travel with caution" after the rush hour passed with minimal disruption on the roads.

It steps down Police Scotland advice to stage two after being escalated to stage four "do not travel" overnight.

A yellow Met Office weather warning for snow and ice is now in place for much of the country until Saturday morning.

Police asked drivers "not to be complacent" and to keep checking for latest updates on the situation

Ch Supt Stewart Carle said: "Road conditions have improved overnight with less snow falling than was expected.

"As a result of this, and motorists heeding our messages and driving to the conditions this morning, we are now able to advise everyone that despite there no longer being a high risk of disruption, there is still a need for all drivers to take extra caution.

"This means that you should continue to make sure you have sufficient fuel for your journey, and have supplies such as warm clothing, food, water and a fully charged mobile phone, before heading out."

Drivers have been asked not to become complacent as weather warnings remain in place

He said nobody should ever put themselves at risk on the road and always give consideration to delaying travel or using public transport.

"The yellow warning for snow and ice is now in place, and with our partners we will continue to keep you updated whether conditions improve or worsen, and if there are any incidents that affect the road network," he said.

A Met Office amber warning of snow and ice expired at 05:00 and advice from Police Scotland was edged down to the "high risk" level. It has now been stepped down further.

A number of vehicles - including jacknifed lorries - got stuck on the A75 Euroroute in the Dumfries and Gatehouse of Fleet area on Wednesday night but the road was reopened by morning.

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A satellite image from Wednesday afternoon showed half the UK under snow and cloud

A guide to travel warnings

Travel conditions are graded at four levels by police and transport officials depending on the severity of the weather.

• Level 1: Normal operations - no severe weather.

• Level 2: Travel with caution - police advise people that conditions for road travel may be hazardous.

• Level 3: High risk of disruption for road journeys - police advise that there is a high risk of disruption for road journeys. Travellers are likely to experience significant delays.

• Level 4: Avoid travelling on the roads - journeys should be avoided. Severe delays expected.