THREE people were killed in separate incidents yesterday as atrocious weather conditions buffeted seas off the west coast.
Alisdair Watson, a 28-year-old fisherman from Macduff, sustained severe head and arm injuries while lifting equipment on to the Venture II, located more than 40 miles north west of the Butt of Lewis.
A Stornoway Coastguard helicopter had attempted to airlift him yesterday morning, but hazardous conditions prevented that. Mr Watson died before the ship arrived in Ullapool Harbour, Ross-shire, more than 13 hours later.
A spokesman for Northern Constabulary said Mr Watson had been hit by a ''huge wave in atrocious weather''.
Two crewmen died and one was seriously injured on board a tanker lashed by heavy seas off the west coast of Ireland.
The Irish coastguard dispatched a helicopter in a Force 11 gale to rescue the injured crewmen who were washed across the deck as they attempted to lash down rafts aboard the 65,000-tonne gas-oil tanker Princess Eva, 120 miles off County Mayo.
The Panamanian-registered tanker was being buffeted by 75 mph winds and 30 ft swells, but a spokesman for the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources said ''there is no difficulty with the vessel''.
The nationalities of the victims were not known.
It came as the Met Office issued a severe weather warning for parts of Scotland recently warmer than the Costa del Sol.
On Sunday, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, reached 17.7C - the hottest January day recorded in Scotland - but yesterday that fell to 4.5C.
Drivers on the M8 experienced tailbacks yesterday after sleet and thunderstorms interrupted their journeys to work.
The Erskine Bridge over the Clyde was temporarily closed to traffic and Grampian Police said snow was starting to affect roads in higher areas.
Further snow showers are forecast for Scotland today, particularly in the north and east. Tomorrow, there will be scattered wintry showers and a sharp overnight frost. By Friday, it will still be cold, but the northerly wind is set to ease.
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