The Met Office issued more weather warnings across Scotland for Sunday that extend into Monday.
The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) amid a “multi-hazard” weekend of weather warnings.
The group, attended by the First Minister John Swinney and chaired by the Justice and Home Affairs Secretary, met on Saturday after the Met Office issued multiple weather warnings across Scotland for Sunday that extend into Monday.
Joining the group were representatives from Sepa, the Met Office, Police Scotland, local authorities and other organisations.
Justice and Home Affairs Secretary Angela Constance said: “At today’s SGoRR meeting the Met Office advised partners how we are facing a complicated multi-hazard event, affecting various parts of the country in different ways and at different times over Sunday and into Monday.
“It involves various combinations of continued snowfall, milder conditions leading to snowmelt, and with heavy rain in some areas leading to a flooding risk from Sunday afternoon.
“Given that complexity I was reassured to hear how partners remain stood up and are working tirelessly across the weekend to continue supporting communities and to respond as the conditions and the nature of the hazards change.
“I am grateful for the work of partners, from frontline responders and agencies to contractors, voluntary groups and individuals who have worked so hard to respond to the impacts of this prolonged period of heavy snowfall and other wintry weather.”
She added: “The sustained nature of this weather event, and the different elements of it, are clearly very challenging for communities and responders alike, given the difficulties already caused by the weather since the start of the year.
“As ever, I would encourage people to follow the advice for their local area provided by key agencies, online and on social media, including from the Met Office, Sepa and Police Scotland and to plan ahead for the coming days.”
The emergency meeting comes after the Met Office previously issued a fresh amber warning for snow in central and north-east Scotland.
The Met warning will come into place from approximately 3am to 2pm on Sunday with heavy snowfall expected.
It has also announced another yellow warning for wind through much of the north and west of Scotland, which starts on Sunday at 9pm and will continue until midday on Monday.
Wider yellow warnings for challenging weather conditions – including snow, rain, and ice – remain in place across the country for the remainder of the weekend into Monday.
The forecasted conditions are expected to impact both road and rail networks as ScotRail said disruptions are “likely”.
Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “As a result of forecast severe weather in some parts of Scotland, it’s likely that there will be disruption to ScotRail services on some routes.
“We may also see speed restrictions implemented across parts of the network meaning that some journeys may take longer than usual. We would urge passengers to check their full journey before they travel using the ScotRail website, app, or our social media channels. Our teams across Scotland will be working flat out to keep people moving where possible in difficult weather conditions.
“We’re grateful to our customers for their understanding as this period of severe weather continues.”
Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop is encouraging communities to consider their travel plans and to work from home where they can.
She said: “This prolonged period of disruptive winter weather is set to continue, with the Met Office forecasting further heavy snowfall in the north of Scotland.
“The conditions will inevitably impact the transport network, so it is vital that people and communities continue to plan ahead to ensure they stay safe. If you are in the area covered by the amber warning, you should consider delaying journeys if you can and working from home if that is an option.
“If you need to travel, then please drive to the conditions and follow Police Scotland advice. You can find the most up-to-date information on the trunk road network on the Traffic Scotland website and social media channels, and this will let you know if your planned route is available. If you are planning to travel by rail, air or ferry, please check with your operator before you set off to see if your service has been impacted by the weather conditions.
“The past 10 days have brought some real challenges for frontline staff, so I would once again like to thank them all for their tireless work to keep Scotland moving and ensure key routes remain open.”
Many schools remained closed for a fifth day on Friday, with heavy snow continuing to disrupt travel in some places.
Snow closed the Inverness-Wick railway line and a number of local roads remained closed. However, the main routes in the north and north-east have been cleared. Ministers met police, local authorities and other bodies on Friday to discuss the response to the weather.
The north and north-east of Scotland have already seen several days of snowfall, ice and sub-zero temperatures which have led to school closures and travel disruption.
John Swinney travelled to Aberdeen on Friday to thank gritter operators, transport depot staff, police and other workers helping keep the main road network open and safe.
The First Minister previously said he wanted to “come to see first-hand the impacts of the winter weather, and to express my thanks to those who’ve worked so hard to keep the transport networks operating and to make sure that support for individuals is available within the community”.
He continued: “It has been a really challenging period for everybody and I thank members of the public for their patience and support.”
More than 250 schools remained closed on Friday, including more than 150 in Aberdeenshire, dozens in the Highlands and Aberdeen, and a number in Moray.
Many pupils will have had a whole week off school at the start of the new term, though remote learning has been provided in many cases.
Aberdeenshire Council declared a major incident on Tuesday, warning of a “good chance” some rural communities would be cut off, as well as the possibility of power cuts.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell, of Police Scotland, said: “We have been working closely with resilience partners across local authorities, other emergency service partners, transport partners, NHS and health and social care partnerships and other local organisations to support communities affected by adverse weather and keep public services open where possible.
“Some services may be impacted by adverse weather and I would encourage the public to check on neighbours or relatives, if they are able to do so safely.”
