COMMUTERS have been warned to expect travel misery today with strong winds and stormy weather forecast to bring disruption to many parts of Scotland.

Amber 'be alert' warnings were issued yesterday for an area stretching from Glasgow to Edinburgh as well as the north of Scotland, with gales and downpours predicted to lash the country overnight and into today.

The warning for the central Forth-Clyde valley was put in place from midnight to 8am this morning, while the alert for the north lasts from 10pm to 10am as the biggest storm of the winter so far rolls in from the Atlantic.

It is feared buildings could be damaged, trees uprooted and travel and power lines affected as forecasters warned of winds up to 100mph, similar to those which caused widespread damage in 2013.

Today's rail timetable has already been thrown into chaos with the cancellation of many routes, including services between Glasgow and Oban, including the Caledonian Sleeper, Dumbarton and Helensburgh and Inverness and Aberdeen until this afternoon at the earliest.

And ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne warned travellers to check ahead, with many of their services likely to be affected by high seas.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said that there was likely to be flooding on the coast, and urged homeowners in Argyll and Bute to take precautions.

The rest of Scotland has been issued with a yellow Met Office warning as gusts of up to 70mph are forecast and England, Wales and Northern Ireland are also set to be hit with strong winds of up 60mph.

All schools on Orkney and the Western Isles will be closed today, while the Dounreay nuclear complex on the far north Caithness coast will be shut to all but essential staff until Sunday, the site's operator said.

Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "The winds will be at their strongest through the early hours of Friday and this brings the potential for disruption across Scotland, but there is a chance that strong, gusty winds could persist into the early part of the morning rush hour as well.

"We'd advise anyone planning to travel during the early part of the morning and into the early rush hour to be prepared for some transport disruption and check traffic and travel conditions before heading out to ensure you can make your journey safely."

Heavy rain was expected to hit the west coast last night and quickly sweep across Scotland into the early hours of this morning.

And hot on its heels, Britain will be hit by another storm with more weather warnings issued for tomorrow amid predictions of further gale-force winds.

The fierce winds will pass over Britain, but forecasters are warning that snow could strike next week.

Mr Lang said a wave of far cooler temperatures will hit which look set to bring snow flurries to parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, especially on the higher ground.

The AA advised drivers they faced "potentially hazardous" conditions.

John Seymour, national manager of the AA's severe weather team, said: "Scotland, particularly, is going to take something of a battering and drivers need to be prepared for possible widespread travel disruption and challenging driving conditions across the affected areas.

"We would encourage people to check the weather and traffic updates before departing and to heed any police warnings about whether it is safe to travel.

"If you have no choice but to drive, keep your speed down as sudden gusts can catch you out and there is a risk of debris on the roads."