Following the issuing of a red alert weather warning by The Met Office this morning, the Chief Secretary of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture confirmed the closures during the afternoon.
Gus Paterson said he wanted to “ensure a consistent approach regarding closures”.
“Given the forecast, I think it’s highly unlikely that conditions tomorrow [Thursday] will be safe for pupils or staff. I wanted to give the community certainty as soon as possible and hope the early announcement helps parents and businesses with their preparations,” he said.
“We will review the position again tomorrow with regards a decision on whether schools can open on Friday. We will seek to make a further announcement tomorrow.”
It has not yet been announced whether the three private colleges will be closing again.