Wintry weather 'set to improve'

The wintry conditions covered Orkney in a white blanket

Scotland was expected to warm up after suffering blizzards and sub-zero temperatures.

Severe weather warnings remained in many parts, but forecasters said the worst was over and emergency services reported no major incidents.

On Friday, the country was whipped by gales and heavy snows which caused a string of accidents and travel chaos.

A 20-year-old mother was killed in a one-car road crash in the north-east, in conditions poor with snow and ice.

In the Highlands, heavy snows brought travel misery for motorists and there were numerous reports of lorries and cars becoming stranded in snow drifts.

But despite freezing conditions through the night, with temperatures plunging to -9C in places, forecasters said the country was thawing out on Saturday.

Rising temperatures

Temperatures rose to around 4C in Glasgow, with rains coming in from the south west, and -1C in Aviemore.

And despite continued snowfalls in the Highlands and Aberdeenshire, emergency services reported no major weather-related accidents.

But they added roads remained icy, and urged motorists to take care.

There were two road closures due to snow in the Highlands, and one in the north-east.

The country's bridges - many of which had restrictions in place on Friday due to high winds - were operating as normal.

Snowfalls were confined to mountainous areas in the north and forecasters predicted they would peter out in the early hours of Sunday.

Overnight, temperatures were expected to reach about 3C in the west, 1C in the east, and as low as zero in the Highlands.

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