Scotland battered by gales of up to 165mph

Senior News Reporter

Thursday 8 December 2011

Large parts of Scotland were today battered by gales gusting up to 165mph which disrupted transport and prompted warnings for drivers to stay off the roads.

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Martin Williams

Winds of 70mph-85mph hit the central belt, leading police forces to tell motorists to stay at home for much of the day, and closed almost every major bridge: the Forth Road Bridge between Edinburgh and Fife; the Erskine Bridge, which connects Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire; the Skye Bridge; and Tay Road Bridge.

Police said the closures were causing significant congestion, as drivers struggle to find alternative routes. Rush-hour commuters were badly affected, although many workers went home early because of the conditions. Many other roads across Scotland are either now closed or seeing delays because of flooding and surface water. The Met Office said the highest wind speed recorded was 165mph, at Cairn Gorm in the Highlands, only 8mph lower than the all-time high. Thousands of schools across all but six of the country's 32 local authorities were shut by lunchtime to allow pupils to get home safely. Around 60 passengers were stranded on a train when the West Highland line was forced to close near Crianlarich. Giving an update on problems caused by the weather, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the rail network was operating but was being seriously challenged. She said: "At the moment the West Highland line is closed. Three miles south of Crianlarich there is a train with 64 passengers on it. A rescue train is on its way and hopefully will be there now to take those passengers back to Glasgow." Train operator East Coast advised customers not to travel north of Edinburgh for the rest the day. It said that speed restrictions and the temporary closure of the Tay Rail Bridge meant trains north and west of the capital were having to be diverted. ScotRail imposed speed restrictions of 50mph on all trains for most of the day in case of falling trees and other debris, and or damage to overhead power lines. Steve Montgomery, ScotRail managing director, said: "We will constantly review weather forecasts and respond accordingly. Our aim is to ensure as robust a service as possible." Trains between Aberdeen and Inverurie, Glasgow and Dunblane, and Edinburgh and Glenrothes were cancelled, while other trains will run less frequently than usual. Tayside Police said the A9 was closed northbound from Dunkeld and southbound from Killiecrankie as several fallen trees had blocked the route, making the road unsafe. Flights to and from Scotland were also disrupted. Glasgow and Edinburgh each had 17 flights cancelled and a further four planes had to be diverted from Edinburgh. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight before going to the airport. Strathclyde Police said they have dealt with more than 500 weather-related incidents throughout the course of the day. Roads in Kilmarnock town centre are closed because of a dangerous building. Police said a church steeple could come loose because of the wind. Aberdeen City Council said a high-tide warning has been issued for tonight and that Riverside Drive may become flooded. Earlier, wind blew over an articulated lorry on the A87 in Glenshiel in the Highlands. The driver was not hurt but the road has had to be closed. A large tree fell onto a vehicle in the car park at Queensferry Hotel in North Queensferry, Fife at around 10.45am. The driver was unhurt but was left shaken. Glasgow was one of the worst-hit areas, with 71mph wind recorded at lunchtime. The University of Glasgow and Caledonian University closed early, as did all public museums, galleries, sports centres and libraries. Caledonian MacBrayne ferries to the western islands of North Uist, Harris, Mull, Islay, Gigha, Coll, Tiree and Arran have been cancelled. Other ferry timetables are severely disrupted. ScottishPower said that as many as 12,000 homes in the Perthshire area were without power. Wind also disrupted power supplies in Dumfries, Central Scotland and the Clyde coast but it was not clear how many people were affected. The electricity supplier said it was working hard to restore power supplies. All non-essential maintenance work has been cancelled and extra engineers from Merseyside and Wales have been drafted in to help with the emergency response.

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Scotland battered by gales of up to 165mph

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