Beast from the East: Updates for Thursday 1 March

The A69 is closed both ways near Low Row because of an accident involving two vehicles between Lanercost Turn and East of Low Row.

Drivers are asked to avoid the area.

Virgin Trains is advising passengers not to travel on the East Coast today or tomorrow because of the bad weather.

The West Coast main line between Carlisle and Scotland remains closed with no trains or replacement buses.

A Virgin Trains spokesperson said:

Passengers travelling across both the east coast and west coast routes are advised to check their journey online before travelling.

• See here for more information.

A YELLOW weather warning for snow has been extended until just before midnight on Saturday.

The Met Office says more showers and a risk of icy stretches are expected, with some rural communities becoming or remaining cut off.

An AMBER BE PREPARED weather warning has been extended until tomorrow morning.

Frequent and often heavy snow showers are expected to continue through Thursday and overnight into Friday morning with further significant accumulations likely.

Long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel could occur.

Roads may become blocked by deep snow, with many stranded vehicles and passengers.

A red alert for snow covering part of the Scottish Borders has ended.

Two weather warnings for Cumbria and the south of Scotland remain in place, with further snow expected across the region.

There have been number of road traffic collisions on the M6 northbound carriageway between J38 and J40.

Hazardous driving conditions because of snow and ice on the road meant that only one lane was open between J38 (Tebay) and J39 (Shap).

Traffic was at a standstill while police dealt with the incidents.

A jack-knifed lorry near to Southwaite Services also closed two lanes on the southbound carriageway, south of J41.

A no-injury two-vehicle collision also closed the M6 southbound at Kendal, which involved two wagons.

Motorists are warned not to travel unless absolutely necessary as driving conditions remain hazardous.

• See here for the latest information on M6 traffic incidents.

The Beast from the East has brought hazardous driving conditions to roads across the region.

Police on both sides of the Borders are advising motorists not to travel unless absolutely necessary while the amber weather warning remains in place - up to 6pm tonight.

The red warning for snow in northern parts of the Scottish Borders has now been downgraded to amber. See here for more information on weather warnings.

• See here for road closures in the south of Scotland.
• See here for road closures in Cumbria.

The A703 near Peebles will be closed for two hours this morning will gritters work to clear heavy snowfall and deep drifting from the road.

The closure to all vehicles will take place between 9.30 to 11.30am.