Scotland battered by wild weather

A man struggles against strong winds next to the promenade in Largs in west Scotland. REUTERS...
A man struggles against strong winds next to the promenade in Largs in west Scotland. REUTERS/David Moir
Severe storms and high winds have caused widespread disruption to parts of Scotland, leaving thousands without power, causing roads and schools to close and hitting air travel.

The Met office issued a red alert warning, after winds of up to 150mph were recorded.

"It is not usual to have this type of weather hitting the northern parts of Scotland, but these storms have moved to affect more densely populated areas," a spokesman at the Met Office said.

"There is serious risk of disruption to travel and the Forth road bridge has been closed."

Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said all parts of country were experiencing very heavy winds with the central belt and southern Scotland facing particularly severe weather conditions.

Schools were either closed to pupils all day or were forced to close early, she said in a statement.

Edinburgh and Glasgow airports said a number of flights had been cancelled or delayed due to high winds.

Widespread travel restrictions have been put in place and police told people to avoid driving on the roads across central Scotland from midday till 7pm (local time).

The Met office said there was a possibility of snow later in the evening, but that winds were expected to die down after the red alert warning elapsed at 9pm.

Windspeeds recorded on Thursday were not far off the highest windspeed recorded in Scotland at 173mph on March 20, 1986 at Cairngorm point.

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