ALMOST 100 schools have closed as arctic snow and ice brought transport to a halt across Britain.

As temperatures tumbled across the country, with more than 90 schools in Aberdeenshire, seven in the Highlands and two in Moray being forced to close to protect workers and pupils alike.

Disruption on the roads was widespread from Aberdeenshire to the Scottish Borders and on to north-east England, North Yorkshire and Pembrokeshire with the Met Office recording temperatures had fallen as far as —6°C at Spadeadam in Cumbria overnight as the arctic weather systems continued to wreak havoc.

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst warned that while yellow warnings were due to expire today night, more lay in store with the possibility of blizzards and 9 inches of snow on the North York Moors and temperatures expected to plummet to —12°C in areas of lying snow in Scotland today.