Image credit: John Mowat

Following a meeting of the Orkney Local Emergency Coordination Group strong advice has been issued by the group that only the most essential travel should be undertaken locally over the next 24 hours.

An Amber weather warning is in place for 13pm today and till 6pm tomorrow (Thursday) with road conditions expected to worsen.

The weather has already significantly impacted on local services within the area, with blanket school closures across the county and cancellation of waste collections.

All schools in Orkney will remain closed tomorrow, as well as Willow Tree Nursery and Orkney College. Pupils at Papdale Halls of Residence will remain in the facility for now.

The Council Offices at School Place will also close at 15:00 today and will remain closed tomorrow as will the Council’s leisure and culture facilities like swimming pools, the library and the community centres.

Council roads crews have been focusing is on getting Priority 1 and Priority 2 roads cleared and gritted before the weather worsens – which means we might not get out to the Priority 3 roads.

Members of the public are advised to keep up to date with the latest developments through the Orkney Islands Council Facebook page and through local press updates.

Police Scotland’s Chief Inspector for Orkney, Scott Robertson, chairs OLECG. He said:

“This level of snow is thankfully rare in Orkney – but when it does bite it can cause issues in terms of our daily lives

“We’ve seen significant impacts on our roads today with drifting and very difficult driving conditions particularly in our rural areas. The Council’s roads team are doing a sterling job in keeping the roads clear, but with conditions set to worsen from this afternoon our strong advice is that people should stay home where they can and avoid any unnecessary travel.”

Snow Amber Weather Warning From 3pm Today