An arctic blast from Siberia could cause problems for commuters travelling to work on Tuesday as heavy snow and icy conditions hit Scotland.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather alert for most of the country and warned of delays on the roads and rails as temperatures fall.

Airports could also be affected and the weather is expected to worsen Wednesday, with a more serious amber warning in place across north and eastern Scotland.

STV weather presenter Sean Batty said: "There were some snow flurries around on Monday, but the first real wintry weather starts on Tuesday.

"Some of the snow showers will be heavy, most likely around Fife, Edinburgh and the Lothians.

"Some heavier bursts can also be expected for a time across Moray and Aberdeenshire between 1am and 4am. Much of the west coast should stay dry with some sunshine.

"The proper snow doesn't really start until Tuesday night, when showers will begin to merge into longer spells of heavy snow."

The wintry blast will be felt across Easter Ross, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, Perthshire, Fife, Edinburgh, Lothians and the Borders on Tuesday.

"Snow will also feed through the Central Belt towards the Glasgow area," Sean said.

"This will continue to feed in on a strong easterly throughout Wednesday and into Thursday leading to blizzard conditions.

"Accumulations could reach as much as 25cm in higher parts of the east, with 5 to 10cm quite widely at lower levels. This risk of large accumulations extends through the central belt too.

"The snow is likely to be dry and powdery due to how cold and dry the air is.

"Powder snow accumulates quicker and blows around easier, which means it's difficult to clear and could block roads, meaning some rural areas could become cut off."

Transport minister Humza Yousaf has urged people to consider whether they really need to travel during the worst periods of weather this week.

Conditions are likely to remain cold on Thursday, with heavy further snow in the central belt.

"There's no let up in the cold and wintry weather, even into the weekend, with further snow expected, especially in southern and central areas," Sean added.