THE Met Office has said that snow and ice could cause travel disruption in Scotland up until Friday evening.

Forecasters said the Arctic air would bring the coldest temperatures of the year and up to 40cm of snow could build up in the southern Highlands.

A series of yellow “be aware” warnings have now been issued until 6pm this Friday.

Heavy snow and ice is making for hazardous driving conditions across the north east, including in Aberdeen.

School closures in Scotland as snow hits

A number of schools are also shut in the Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Highland Council areas.

Meanwhile, Shetland Isles Council confirmed that no schools will be open due to the wintry conditions.

How much snow is expected?

The Met Office also said that many locations across Scotland could see between 5-10cm of snow towards the end of the week.

The heaviest snowfalls are expected on Friday with the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and central and southern Scotland covered by warnings.

Towards the end of the week, a yellow warning is in place across central Scotland, including in major cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as Perth.

This means snow has the “potential to cause significant disruption on Thursday and Friday” as well as the possibility of long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel.