Forecasters are predicting more snow and icy temperatures across the north and north-east in the coming days.
Thousands of homes are still without power in Shetland.
Resilience Minister Keith Brown visited earlier today to speak to some of the engineers working to restore the power lines, but residents have been told it could be the end of the week before they have heat again.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and ice from midnight until 10aam for Shetland.
A further warning will be in place from 6am tomorrow for the west and southern Highlands including Oban, Fort William and Aviemore. This warning also covers Orkney and Shetland and is in force until 11.59pm on Friday.
On Sunday, another warning is in place for most of the Highlands and Aberdeenshire from 3am to 9pm.
Our teams are continuing to do all they can to restore customers’ supplies on Shetland following the extreme weather – in this short video we hear from Ivan Mitchell, part our overhead lines crew from Inverness and see some examples of the damage our network has experienced. pic.twitter.com/c823oWF8jM
— ssencommunity (@ssencommunity) December 15, 2022
Shetland power cut continues
Around 2,400 people are still without power, mostly in areas such as Voe, Brae, Yell and the West Mainland.
More than 400 homes had power restored yesterday after 15 engineer crews arrived via ferry on Wednesday.
SSEN, the energy supplier, says that while the 125-strong crew have made progress in restoring power to Shetland residents, it could be the end of the week before the issue is fully resolved.
Engineers have had to replace core infrastructure, including overhead power lines, which were damaged due to heavy falling snow, leading to the island’s power outage.
However, they have been facing difficulty due to Shetland’s geography to get to more remote areas of the islands.
During his visit, Mr Brown also praised the response of the Scottish Government – especially the collaboration between the police and council.
A huge thanks to the individuals, community organisations and local businesses who have stepped in to support the response and look after their friends and neighbours during ongoing severe weather and power outages. #CommunitySpirit #NotAllHerosWearCapes https://t.co/DhBcj7cuFm
— Shetland Islands Council (@ShetIslandsCll) December 15, 2022
SSEN is working closely with Shetland Islands Council and the Local Resilience Partnership to clear roads and offer support to people without power.
Several facilities have been set up for those without power, providing warmth and hot food throughout the day.
Places include Walls Public Hall, Sandness Public Hall, Burravoe Public Hall, Symbister Hall and Isbister Public Hall.
Mark Macdonald, head of region at SSEN Distribution, said: “With the arrival of additional crews, resources and equipment this morning, we’ve now got a 125-strong team working tirelessly to repair significant network damage in parts of Shetland.
“We’ve deployed helicopters to assess damage on some of the worst impacted circuits in the west mainland and parts of Voe, where severe access issues continue to hamper our restoration efforts.”
Weather disruption
Multiple schools will be closed again on Friday.
NHS Grampian has warned that snow and ice can lead to more trips, slips and falls and so A&E areas may be more crowded than usual and asks those more vulnerable to stay home.
Dunecht Estates has shared a warning about stepping on frozen lochs, ponds and rivers as the ice is unlikely to hold much weight.
Aberdeen City Council are unable to empty brown bins on Thursday and Friday due to the weather.
Conversation