Met Office issues 'risk to life' amber warning for Scotland as sub-zero temperatures hit UK

The UK Met Office has issued a new "risk to life" amber warning for central Scotland as the country sees a significant drop in temperatures. The warning has been put in place until midday.

The amber warning states that Scotland may see disruptions on Friday morning due to heavy snow. It is expected to cause rail and air travel delays and cancellations.

The warning comes as the country continues to see icy conditions that have affected life and infrastructure in the UK. Several airports, roads, and public institutions were forced to close this week due to snow.

The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for several areas of the country until 9 pm. Snow and ice warnings, meanwhile, have been issued for the whole country. The situation is only expected to worsen by Sunday. The national weather agency has said that a mixture of rain and snow will make road travel difficult in the days to come.

The Met Office said that it may lead to "some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces" and that there is "a chance that road, air and rail services could be disrupted or delayed."

Large parts of the UK are expected to be hit by snow on Saturday night, wrote The Mirror, citing weather forecasters.

"A band of rain and snow is going to be moving north-eastwards across the country through Sunday," said Met Office meteorologist Ellie Wilson. "It's bringing milder air behind it, but that milder air bumps into the cold air that's where we're seeing where the snow is likely to fall."

"Because of the current cold conditions that we've seen, any of that snowfall will be falling onto cold frozen surfaces so there is a risk of ice here through the morning. That rain will quickly be following closely behind later on Sunday," she added.

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for parts of northern Scotland, south-west England, and Wales as icy temperatures look set to continue. People have been asked to stay extra cautious as a number of road closures are expected in the coming days.

A Met Office guide said that people "should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property. You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community."