A WARNING that snow and ice could hit the Borders later this week has been issued by the Met Office.

The yellow alert is in place from 6am to 11.59pm on Friday (December 16).

The forecasters said outbreaks of snow and icy surfaces are likely to bring some disruption to the region.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “Outbreaks of sleet and snow will spread across much of southern, central and western Scotland through Friday. One-three cm of snow is likely in places below 200 metres, with 5-8 cm possible above 200 metres south of the Central Belt.”

They added: “Later in the day, snow at low levels will likely turn to rain. In addition to the snow, sleet or rain may fall onto frozen surfaces leading to some icy conditions.”

The Met Office issued snow and ice warnings for the east of the Borders earlier this week.

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Temperatures have plummeted in the region in recent days.

Earlier this week a Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said that six new gritters had been added to the fleet, with a seventh arriving shortly.

Councillor John Greenwell, executive member for roads development and maintenance, said: “Each year we review the impact of the previous winter’s weather, our response to it and feedback from communities, and that helps to ensure that our refreshed Winter Service Plan is robust and that we are best placed to support our residents during the most challenging winter weather.

“The role that our Resilient Community groups and individuals can play through self-help and providing support to the vulnerable in the adverse weather is vital to local communities and is hugely appreciated by the council too.

“The key thing is to be prepared. As a council we are prepared for winter and it is important that the public take steps to ensure they are too. From getting your vehicles ready and allowing more time to travel to having the right supplies and equipment in your home and vehicle and being signed up for SB Alert messages, there are lots of simple steps you can take.

“When bad weather hits, it is important that people also make good decisions about travelling and making use of available resources, such as salt bins.”