Weather - live: Snow and ice warnings extended as Shetlanders face days without power
Some Shetland residents could have no power for the rest of the week
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The Met Office has issued snow and ice warnings across central and southern parts of Scotland for Friday.
The latest weather warning comes after the forecaster extended a yellow warning for snow and ice covering northern Scotland and northeast England until noon on Friday.
Just yesterday, the Scottish government declared a major incident for Shetland after thousands of homes were left without power amid plummeting temperatures.
A local council leader said that some residents could be without electricity for the rest of the week.
Emma Macdonald, leader of the Shetland Islands Council, said wet and heavy snow, unusual for the area, had brought down power lines and poles.
She said: “We don't normally get much snow, we get a lot of wind and gales, and it has had a significant impact.
“We have so many lines down and people could be without electricity until the end of the week.”
SSEN Distribution is working to restore supplies to about 2,800 homes, but arned full restoration is only likely by the end of the week.
School closures and late openings on Wednesday due to snow – see full list in your area 
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Thousands without power on Shetland as temperatures plummet to -17C
Thousands of homes have been left without power in Shetland as temperatures plummet to a record -17.3C.
The Scottish Government Resiliance Room met on Tuesday afternoon and declared the situation on Shetland a major incident.
SSEN Distribution is working to restore supplies to about 2,800 homes, but warned full restoration is only likely by the end of the week.
Keith Brown, lead minister for resilience, said it was clear that many properties would face days without power.
The network issues come as temperatures have dropped to record levels across the country, with -17.3C recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire on Monday into Tuesday, making it the coldest place in the UK for the second night in a row.
Earlier, Police Scotland urged the island residents to stay at home amid the adverse weather conditions.
Mr Brown said: “I would urge people to heed the Police Scotland advice to stay at home, find ways to stay warm, check in on neighbours, friends and family, and listen to the local radio or follow social media for updates.”
‘Worst ever winter breakdown cocktail’ says RAC
Rod Dennis from the RAC explained why Monday was the “busiest day for breakdowns on record”.
He said: “Yesterday was officially our busiest day for breakdowns on record, with around 12,000 drivers needing help, the equivalent of eight every minute of the day. Even our busiest day during the infamous Beast from the East in 2018 didn’t see as many people breaking down.
“We believe two key ingredients have combined to create the worst-ever winter breakdown cocktail - a sustained period of cold weather with an absence of widespread snow that would otherwise keep people indoors, and a big rise in the number of drivers who can’t afford to maintain their vehicles as well as they’d like to due to the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
“Today remains an incredibly demanding day for our patrols, with the rail strikes likely to force yet more people onto the roads.”
New snow warning as temperatures to plummet to -13C overnight
Temperatures could dip as low as -13C overnight tonight as Britain faces another day of disruption from snow and ice.
Met Office weather warnings have been extended to Friday, with yellow alerts in place on Wednesday for south west and north east England, Northern Ireland and northern Scotland.
There has been significant travel disruption on the roads for the second day running, as motorists on Tuesday struggled with the icy conditions and rail commuters faced delays and cancellations compounded by strike action.
Advice for looking after health and wellbeing this winter
As temperatures drop this winter, the Met Office have issued advice to look after your health and wellbeing during the colder weather.
They have encouraged people to check in on elderly neighbours and relatives as well as keep important information stored safely in case of an emergency.
Met Office forecasts milder and wetter weather
A number of weather warnings for snow or ice are in place across the UK for wintry hazards as the cold weather continues this week.
The Met Office say the UK will remain cold through this week with the risk of sleet and snow at times continuing, across northern and eastern locations, but with a chance of some snow across parts of the south est later today.
Paul Gundersen, Met Office Chief Forecaster, said: “Over the last week, the UK has been held in a northerly airflow bringing cold, sometimes Arctic air, to the UK. We will still have this northerly influence to our weather patterns until the weekend, but then the cold conditions will lose exclusive dominance over the UK’s weather patterns and we will move into a regime where relatively mild and relatively cold conditions will vie for supremacy.
“We can expect changeable conditions with colder and milder air not too far away from our shores, but it does seem that the Atlantic ‘has woken up’ compared with recent days and will be a stronger influence, countering any further bouts of extreme cold conditions, although spells of further wintry weather remain possible through the rest of December.”
Yellow weather warning of wind affecting Orkney & Shetland
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind affected Orkney and Shetland, Scotland.
A period of gusty northerly winds on Wednesday with blustery wintry showers is set to continue, and is likely to cause the closure of some roads and bridges as well as tje potential of power cuts affecting mobile phone coverage.
School closures and late openings due to snow – see full list in your area
Many schools across the UK closed their doors or opened late on Monday and Tuesday due to snow and icy conditions.
The Met Office has warned the wintry weather will likely continue throughout the week, with a continuing risk of sleet and snow in some places.
Zoe Tidman has the full list of school closures in your local area as frosty weather continues.
School closures and late openings due to snow – see full list in your area
Devon and East Sussex schools have announced closures for Tuesday
In pictures: Snow sweeps the UK
Parts of England and Scotland woke up to another snowy morning on Tuesday as temperatures reached record lows overnight.
Cold Weather Payment: How to check if you’re due £25
As temperatures drop and snow falls across the UK, many households may be thinking twice before switching the central heating on due to the cost of living crisis.
However, there are government support payments available to help, such as the Cold Weather Payment scheme.
Reintroduced from 1 November and running until 31 March 2023, the scheme grants £25 to people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on low incomes every time the weather in their area is, or is forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below for seven consecutive days.
Joe Sommerlad has more on the Cold Weather Payment scheme and who is eligible:
DWP Cold Weather Payments: How to check if you’re due £25
Government pays out additional £25 to certain benefits recipients if temperatures hit zero or below for seven consecutive days
Ofsted chief inspector says extra day of school to make up for snow closures is ‘important’
Children must get their “full time in education” and an extra day of lessons to make up for snow closures is “important,” says school regulator Ofsted’s chief inspector.
As a number of schools across the country closed due to snow, Ms Amanda Spielman said the US practice of adding on an extra day of school if there are weather closures could be adopted in the UK.
“We know from the pandemic experience that remote learning isn’t terribly effective,” she told Times Radio, “that most children learn a lot less than they would in school and some children learn nothing at all.
“So for me, really, a school needs to be open or closed. In America, they add a day on later on in the school year, if they close for a snow day when transport isn’t possible. It really is important that the default is keeping schools open. Obviously, there are circumstances in which that isn’t possible.”
Asked if she thinks all schools should do that, she replied: “Well, that would be a decision for ministers. But children have lost a lot of education. For me, it’s really important making sure that children get their full time in education so they can get the benefit of it.”
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