Ophelia leaves her mark on Glasgow
A tenement block in Crosshill, Glasgow, partially collapsed as Scotland was hit by Storm Ophelia yesterday. Elsewhere, a Scout hall roof was blown off and trees came down in Dumfries and Galloway amid winds of up to 77mph.
A tenement block partially collapsed as Scotland endured the aftermath of Storm Ophelia yesterday.
The frontage of the threestorey Victorian sandstone building in the Crosshill area of Glasgow gave way at around 4am. One resident describing the incident as sounding like a “gas explosion”.
It is understood the privately-owned corner block in the southside of the city has been empty for at least a year due to previously identified structural issues. Residents were evacuated to allow work to be carried out.
The bay windows of the tenement in Albert Street were due to be removed in the coming weeks after its owners agreed to a repair deal, Glasgow City Council said.
An exclusion zone was already established around the tenement. None of the falling debris breached the barrier.
One resident told The Scotsman: “There was an incredible noise, I thought for a moment there had been a gas explosion.”
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “Unfortunately, Storm Orphelia hit the city and there was a collapse.
“The exclusion zone did its job and contained the debris and, because we previously evacuated the building, no one was hurt.”
Elsewhere, a Scout hall roof was blown off and a number of trees came down in Dumfries and Galloway as the region took the brunt of winds up to 77mph.
Train services were temporarily hit between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and from the capital to Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth, as trees were blown on to tracks but transport seemed to avoid major disruption.
The worst effects of the storm were felt in Ireland where three people died on Monday.
Flood alerts are in place for west central Scotland, Ayrshire and Arran, Argyll and Bute and Dumfries and Galloway, and the Met Office has yellow weather warnings across the Central Belt until 3pm when calmer conditions are expected.
Police in Dumfries and Galloway said they had a “busy night” after a number of properties were left without power.