Storm Henry Sweeps In With 90mph Gusts

1 February 2016, 11:11 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Scotland is braced for more winds of up to 90mph as Storm Henry sweeps in.

Some train services have already been suspended and roads closed, leading to a potentially difficult evening commute for some, and ferry passengers have been warned to expect widespread disruption.

Henry is the eighth winter storm and comes just days after the UK saw off Storm Gertrude, which brought gusts of more than 100mph in places as well as heavy rain and snow.

The Met Office has issued amber "be prepared'' alerts for wind covering Scotland from 3pm on Monday until Tuesday morning.

Gusts of 70-80mph are now widely expected, while 90mph is possible in the most exposed areas, especially across the Western Isles and along the west coast.

The Forth Road Bridge has already been closed to high-sided vehicles and the A82 between Glencoe and Rannoch Moor is closed to all vehicles apart from cars after a van and a lorry were blown off the road earlier.

Warnings for wind at the lesser yellow "be aware'' level are also in place for the whole of the northern UK and Northern Ireland. Yellow alerts have also been issued for rain in northern and central areas of Scotland.

The Met Office said: "A deep area of low pressure will push quickly eastwards close to the north of Scotland later on Monday and into Tuesday.

"Some very strong west to south-westerly winds are expected to develop on the southern and western flanks of this system, affecting much of Scotland. Gusts of 70-80 mph are expected widely, whilst gusts of 90mph are possible in the most exposed areas, especially across the Western Isles and along the west coast.

"Be prepared for some potentially severe weather, causing transport disruption and difficult driving, some structural damage, dangerous coastal conditions and disruption to power supplies.''

Train operator ScotRail said some of its services will only operate until early afternoon on Monday, before being suspended until the end of the day.

Jacqueline Taggart, of the ScotRail Alliance, said: "Once again we find ourselves preparing for extreme weather conditions hitting the country. Last week Storm Gertrude brought incredibly high winds and treacherous conditions to Scotland - and it looks as though Storm Henry is going to do the same.

"We have been working closely with the Met Office and they have advised us that conditions will worsen as the day progresses. This means that any impact on our services will be felt later in the day.

"I would really urge people to look at their travel plans for the whole day. We will be running services in the morning that, due to Storm Henry, we will be unable to run in the afternoon. So, please do make arrangements for both your outward and return journeys.''

Caledonian MacBrayne is also advising ferry passengers to check ahead for disruptions across its ferry network.

Scotland's Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: "Our Multi-Agency Response Team, based at the National Traffic Scotland Control Centre, which has been in operation throughout the weekend will remain in place to monitor events and respond as required.

"Our fleet of patrol vehicles and gritters are treating roads where needed around the clock to help keep roads open to traffic, but quickly changing conditions means journeys could be disrupted.''