Lashed, bashed and crashed as Henry storms in
STORM Henry blasted into Scotland yesterday with winds of up to 90mph, causing travel chaos as bridges were closed, trains cancelled and lorries overturned.
Near-50ft waves were recorded off the Outer Hebrides as Henry swept in during the afternoon, intensifying overnight as storm force winds and torrential rain lashed the country.
The Met Office issued warnings – stretching from yesterday afternoon into this morning – covering much of the UK, advising people to be prepared for the ‘severe’ power of the storm, saying winds could reach 90mph in exposed places, with up to 2½in of rain.
Thirty flood warnings were issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, advising flooding was expected and immediate action may be required by homeowners.
Dozens of nurseries and schools in the Highlands were closed, affecting more than 2,200 pupils. All schools in the Western Isles were shut and islanders were urged not to travel at all during the storm.
Numerous train services were suspended as Henry, the eighth storm of the winter, took hold, only days after the end of Storm Gertrude, which brought gusts of more than 100mph as well as heavy rain and snow.
In South Uist, the wind reached 89mph yesterday. Just before 2pm, gusts of 84mph forced the closure of the Forth Road Bridge, although it opened for a time later to allow cars to cross. The Cromarty Bridge in Rossshire was closed to all vehicles except cars after a lorry was blown over.
Travel on the A82 between Glencoe and Rannoch Moor was restricted after a van and a lorry were blown off the road. Fallen trees caused road closures across the country, including the A77 Ayr to Glasgow route at Dutch House roundabout.
On Skye, the Portree Lifeboat was launched to help SSE engineers reach Raasay, following a power cut on the island. Ferry company CalMac said 24 of its 26 services on the West Coast were cancelled.
At 6pm, Ardrossan Coastguard tweeted: ‘ Extremely dangerous conditions along the Ayrshire coast as we approach high tide. Please avoid these areas for your own safety.’
Wind warnings at the lesser yellow ‘be aware’ level were in place for the whole of Scotland, the North of England and Northern Ireland. Yellow alerts were also 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 70-80mph are expected widely, while 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.’
Scottish Hydro was on ‘red alert’, with engineers on standby in the Western Isles, North-West Highlands, Skye and Argyll. It said staff had contacted vulnerable customers to see if they would need extra help in the event of a power cut.
Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: ‘Our Multi-Agency Response Team, which has been in operation throughout the weekend, will remain in place to monitor events and respond as required. Our patrol vehicles and gritters are treating roads around the clock to help keep them open to traffic, but quickly changing conditions means journeys could be disrupted.’
Off the Outer Hebrides, waves of 48.2ft were recorded at 1pm by the K5 buoy, which gathers data on the movement of the sea. In 2007, a wave of more than 57ft was logged.
As high winds battered the country, homeowners were advised to take preventative steps to reduce the risk of property damage.
Bank of Scotland Home Insurance said the average value of a claim for storm damage in Scot- l and is j ust over £ 1,000. Tim Downes, senior claims manager, said: ‘Strong winds and heavy rain can wreak havoc on homes and gardens, but a few simple steps can go a long way to reduce damage.’
He suggested a variety of ideas, including keeping a home emergency kit with torches, spare bulbs and batteries, as well as tinned food, blankets and a radio. Outbuildings and gates should be secured and roofs and guttering checked.
Met Office forecaster Lindsay Mears did offer some good news last night, saying: ‘ There will be some respite on Wednesday as it will be colder but calmer.’ But she added: ‘It will be unsettled again towards the end of the week.’