Fife Weather: Latest updates and closures for Thursday

The coastal road to Kinghorn is littered with abandoned cars.

With the region in the middle of an unprecedented Red Alert, the local authority has urged residents to heed all safety advice.

The alert – the most severe warning the Met Office can issue - is in place through the night until 10am on Thursday.

The message from the Transport Minister is quite clear: Do not travel.

It means significant snow falls across the Kingdom and the potential for major disruption.

In pictures: Snow scenes in Kirkcaldy

All schools will be shut on Thursday.

Fife College has closed all campuses.

Fife Cultural Trust has closed all its libraries, theatres and museums.Fife sports and Leisure Trust has closed all its facilities.

All recycling centres are closed.

Maggie’s Fife cancer care centre is closed on Thursday.

Non-essential appointments and visits are likely to be cancelled.

Stagecoach says all Fife services are withdrawn, and will not operate early morning journeys on Thursday, but they will review the conditions at 6am tomorrow.

ScotRail has cancelled all services through Fife. For more info check www.journeycheck.com/scotrailThe council’s contact centre is operating an emergency service only, including the community alarm service.

Residents are asked to go online to check for advice and ask questions – and ONLY call a council number if absolutely necessary, to make sure the most vulnerable people and those in emergency situations can get through.

Meals on wheels managed to reach all clients today and will endeavour to do the same tomorrow.

Steve Grimmond, Fife Council’s chief executive, said: “We’re having to take unprecedented actions in the face of the red alert.

“Heavy and prolonged snow showers are upon us with the Met Office telling us as much as 20-30cm - even 40cm of snow could be lying in places by mid-morning Thursday.

“We have been gritting all day, and staff from a range of council teams have also been out clearing snow and laying grit.

“We’ll continue to run the gritting fleet as long as it’s safe to do so, but we cannot contend with recurring heavy snowfalls.

“I want to thank employees who have been out and about in freezing temperatures to do what they can to keep communities open and vital services, such as meals on wheels running.”

The show by Madness singer Suggs which was sheduled to take place at the Alhambra Theatre tonight has been called off.The Bob Dylan Band have been forced to cancel their Lochgelly Theatre gig on Saturday, but they are also set to play the Adam Smith Theatre on Saturday, July 14