Woman killed by flying debris as Storm Doris hits

● Snow and wind cause traffic chaos ● More bad weather forecast

0 Snowploughs clear the M80 at Castlecary, near Cumbernauld, after the motorway was shut because of stranded vehicles Further strong winds and heavy rain are expected to batter Scotland tomorrow after Storm Doris’s heavy snow brought traffic to a halt in yesterday’s morning rush hour.

However, England was worst hit by the first storm of the year, with a woman being killed by flying debris in Wolverhampton.

An ice warning was in force until 9am today for all of Scotland apart from Shetland, then the Met Office said conditions should temporarily improve.

Chief meteorologist Eddy Carroll said: “Friday will bring a welcome break from the unsettled conditions, with some sunny spells for many and much calmer winds after acoldstartwithariskoficy patches.”

However, deputy chief meteorologist Dan Harris added: “Saturday will see further strong winds and another spell of wet weather, particularly over the north-west of the UK, where the rain is likely to be locally heavy and persistent.”

Parts of the M80 between Cumbernauld and Stirling were shut for several hours yesterday as gritters battled to free stranded vehicles and jackknifed lorries. Conditions were also difficult on roads including the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow, the M90 in Fife and on the A9.

Road maintenance firm Bear Scotland reported “significant traffic delays” on the M80 around Castlecary and A9 at Auchterarder.

Traffic information firm Waze said drivers took up to four hours to travel between Bannockburn and Banknock on the M80, which normally takes five minutes.

A gritter lorry overturned on the A811 near Buchlyvie, west of Stirling.

In Fife, an elderly couple were rescued from their car, which became trapped in floodwater on the A921 between Aberdour and Burntisland.

Some schools in Aberdeenshire, Stirling, Falkirk and Perth and Kinross were closed and all school buses in the Borders were cancelled.

In England, the Port of Liverpool was closed following reported 100mph gusts, and a gust of 94mph was recorded at Capel Curig in north Wales.

The east coast main line – where dozens of services had already been cancelled due to the high winds – was blocked when large metal roof sections from a nearby building were blown on to the tracks at Sandy in Bedfordshire.

One in ten flights at Heathrow were cancelled. Holyrood officials have decided against pursuing legal expenses from pro-independence protesters who camped illegally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

Although Court of Session awarded costs in principle to the parliament after ruling the campers should leave the grounds, the parliament would have had to chase nine individuals for payments totalling around £100,000