People across Tayside and Fife are being warned to prepare for the worst this winter with experts predicting that we could be set for a repeat of 2010’s big freeze.
Some reports have suggested temperatures across the country could plummet to -21c and Scots could face 36 days of snow.
Courier Country is not expected to be immune from the cold snap and residents are now being advised to stock up and ensure they are ready for the changing of the seasons.
Indeed, the head of Tayside Contracts announced last week that almost £300,000 has already been spent on two new gritters for Dundee, the announcement coming on the back of Transport Scotland’s decision to distribute 19 “super-gritters” to the north-east of Scotland for use.
Meteorologist Tyler Roys, from global weather forecaster AccuWeather, warned: “Scotland is forecast a colder than normal winter. We’ll see full-on cold spells across Scotland.
“The Atlantic is very cold off the coast of Scotland, which will cool weather systems as they move to Scotland.
“Cold air is also expected from the Arctic. Given recent past winters, minimum temperatures of -8c to -21c in Scotland, lows of that level are possible this winter.”
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The news comes as the man in charge of keeping Tayside’s roads running confirmed he is preparing for the worst.
In January this year roads in Dundee were plunged into chaos after the city was battered by blizzards.
Buses were cancelled, commuters stranded and dozens of vehicles were involved in crashes as drivers lost control on the slippery surface.
With this still lingering in his memory, Dougie McKay, from Tayside Contracts, announced the group has brought in £296,000 of new machinery to add to their fleet, including two new gritters that will help spread the city’s 10,000-tonne stockpile of salt.
Mr Mckay said: “Sometimes it can be impossible to predict what Mother Nature decides to do.
“All we can do in situations like that (in January) is react, but the majority of the time we are planning days in advance out at all hours, 24/7, making sure the roads and pavements are safe for everyone.”
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A spokesman for Age Scotland urged people to regularly check in on elderly family members and neighbours, should the temperatures plummet as expected.
He said: “We would encourage everyone to ensure they are adequately prepared for winter this year and to check in with any older relatives, friends or neighbours.”
Despite the stark warning, a spokesman for the Met Office claimed it was too early to panic.
She said: “There are too many variables involved to predict January’s weather in October.”
Horrendous weather brought the country to a halt five years ago and is recent enough to still bring road workers out in a cold sweat.
From late November to the turn of the year Scotland struggled to cope with nightmarish conditions which closed roads across the country, leaving drivers stranded.
Records were continually broken as the nation was reduced to a grinding halt by temperatures as low as -21c and up to 30 inches of snow.
A section of the M8 had to be closed for 48 hours as Scotland struggled to adapt to the extreme weather.
The Forth Road Bridge too was forced to close after a lorry jack-knifed while crossing the structure.
The coldest December since records began also inflicted misery on business, with some reports suggesting the British economy lost £1 billion a day from cancelled flights and hibernating shoppers.
The Courier reported back in 2011 how Tayside Contracts’ gritters struggled to deal with heavy snowfall.
Maintenance costs across Tayside and Fife topped £5 million as local authorities attempted to tackle the freak weather.
Tragically, several people lost their lives as a result of the freeze.
A 70-year-old holiday maker collapsed and died in a snow-covered caravan park in Cleethorpes, Humberside.
Another man died while walking his dog in Essex, having plunged through a frozen lake.