The alert will run for 24 hours from midday, covering Grampian, the Highlands, Orkney & Shetland, Dumfries & Galloway and across Ayrshire.

Scotland is continuing to be hit by freezing weather, with rain, sleet and snow expected to fall across large parts of the country. Temperatures at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands fell to -11C on Saturday night after forecasters extended a yellow warning from 09:00 on Sunday until 12:00 on Monday.

Scotland is facing unnerving temperatures of minus 16C - the lowest for over a decade - and the snowy weather shows no signs of letting up. The mercury could plummet to the lowest in the UK in January for 15 years in the next two days.

Forecasters warn of difficult driving conditions as workers and school pupils return after the Christmas break.

The Met Office placed much of the UK under yellow weather warnings this week as plummeting temperatures brought snow and ice to huge swathes of the country

A polar vortex is expected to bring snow and ice to 26 states and D.C., threatening travel with blizzard conditions and record-low temperatures.

The Met Office has issued a fresh warning for snow and ice as wintry weather continued to disrupt the first week back to school in parts of Scotland. More than 50 schools in the Highlands have been affected on Wednesday,

Yellow warnings for snow and ice remain in place after severe flooding and snow caused travel disruption and school closures across the UK. The Met Office said wintry weather is expected to bring icy roads and travel delays to much of west England,