SCOTS once again faced hurricane-force winds as 100mph gales battered the country yesterday, causing widespread damage and disruption.

Wind speeds exceeded those of the last big storm on December 8, with gusts of 102mph recorded on Edinburgh's Blackford hill, 91mph in Glasgow and 97mph in Islay.

Thankfully, the festive holiday ensured many people were inside their homes and not heading to work when the worst of the winds struck before dawn and around breakfast time.

But few areas across central parts of the country were spared damage to homes and property.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue received 572 calls between midnight and 1pm and attended a total of 488 incidents.

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) said it was thankful that despite the destructive weather, no life-threatening injuries had been reported.

Five people were injured as high winds overturned caravans at a site in Dunoon shortly after 8am, and 15 people had to be rescued from a boat that was blown away while being repaired in an Inverclyde shipyard.

In Glasgow, the roof of a block of flats was ripped from the building and strewn across Broadholm Street in the Possilpark area.

Pensioner Robert Marshall, 73, who lives in the property with his wife, said: "We stay in the ground- level flat and first thing this morning the wind was making an awful noise and then we heard a big bang.

"There were actually a couple of bangs, but we just thought it was the wind. I got up and looked out the window and the top of the building was blowing off.

"It was a big shock. The police and the fire brigade were out right away and the street was cordoned off."

The weather also caused problems for Michelle Donkin and her husband, who were forced to flee their Crookston home in the city as wind tore off the gable end.

Mrs Donkin said: "When the wall collapsed about 7am, it sounded like an explosion. The whole house was shaking.

"We ran to the door, and our neighbour across the road was shouting at us to get out the house – they could see the damage.

"You can see right into the loft from the outside. It's just been a nightmare."

In Partick, 38-year-old Lucy Janes reported that the chimney of her Thornwood Avenue home had blown off on to a parked car.

She said: "At about 8am I heard a very loud thump and when I looked out the front I saw that the chimney had blown off.

"It was a bit of a shock actually and my neighbour was out in the street when it happened and she called the police. She had a bit of a lucky escape.

"We still don't know whose car it is but we're just thankful that nobody was seriously injured."

Elsewhere, falling masonry proved to be hazardous in Edinburgh, with Great Junction Street in Leith closed due to damage to the old Co-op building. Police stationed themselves at either end of the street and large chunks of stone could be seen smashed across the pavement and road.

Abdul Jabbar, owner of a convenience store on the street, said: "When I came in at 9.30am today there was already debris on the ground and the police had shut off the road.

"Of course, any road closure will affect business."

A police officer at the scene added: "There is debris from the old Co-op building falling on to the ground and we have closed the road until the winds die down in the interests of public safety."

Motorists were faced with fallen trees in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, while flooding closed routes in Dunbartonshire.

The Scottish Borders was also badly hit, with 70 trees reported to have fallen on roads throughout the area.

Glasgow Housing Association said it received more than 1000 calls between midnight and 5pm and had to draft in extra staff to help with complaints relating to loose roof tiles, fallen trees and structural damage. A GHA spokesman said: "We have been very busy dealing with calls from our tenants and factored homeowners.

"We are doing everything we can to help those affected by the high winds."

Murray Park, the training ground of Rangers FC at Milngavie, also suffered damage to its roof, causing a leak on to one of the indoor pitches.

A spokesman for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue (SFR) said: "Our firefighters were called to a number of weather-related road traffic collisions but the vast majority of our calls were to make safe structural damage from fallen trees and collapsed buildings and to contain the hazard of flying debris – including a bus shelter and a number of garden sheds.

"Thankfully, SFR has no fatalities to report."

A spokesman for Acpos added: "There have been a number of injuries as a direct result of the severe weather, however, thankfully none are life-threatening. We thank the public for following the advice provided by the police and Scottish Government."

The winds across the Central Belt eased off into the afternoon as the storm spread northwards. However, insurers warned the clean-up bill could run into millions of pounds.

A spokeswoman for the Association of British Insurers said: "Due to the storms in Scotland and northern England, we expect a larger number of people than normal will be submitting claims."