Thousands without power as planes, trains and ferries are cancelled... and more’s on the way CHAOS FOR CHRISTMAS AS 100MPH STORM HITS
... and another storm’s on way, say forecasters
SCOTLAND was battered by 100mph winds yesterday as the first of two Christmas storms tore through the country. Thousands of homes were without power, while families trying to make it home for the holidays were faced with cancelled ferries, flights and trains.
Those driving to supermarkets on one of the busiest shopping days of the year endured treacherous road conditions as heavy rain and hail mixed with powerful winds.
Gusts of more than 100mph were recorded on the Cairn Gorm summit around 12.30pm. Wind speeds of 60 to 70mph were seen widely across the north of the country.
Despite the past few days being the most volatile of the winter so far,
forecasters are warning there is still more to come.
Tomorrow, Storm Conor is expected to sweep through Scotland, with Met Office weather warnings in place for both Christmas and Boxing Day.
It is unwelcome news for those who are trying to recover from the effects of Storm Barbara yesterday, including the thousands on Lewis and Harris who were left without power.
High winds and a lightning strike are believed to have knocked out the power supply, and more faults affected parts of Lewis and Uist throughout the day.
There were also power cuts reported around Knockando, Moray, and in the Loch Broom area near Ullapool, Ross-shire.
More than 600 frontline staff from electricity company SSE were dispatched to areas expected to be hardest hit.
A spokesman said: ‘We are acutely aware of the time of year and the increasing concern this brings and would like to reassure our customers we will be doing all we can to keep disruption to a minimum.’
In the Highlands, 8,500 pupils from almost 120 schools were given the day off school on the final day of term as a precaution. In Edin- burgh, safety fears forced the closure of outdoor festive entertainment venues, including the Starflyer, Big Wheel, climbing wall and Scottish market.
Meanwhile, the thousands of people who tried to make it home for Christmas were faced with cancellations, disruptions and grim driving conditions.
A number of ScotRail trains were cancelled due to the weather, with speed restrictions placed on many routes. In some cases replacement buses were unable to operate due to dangerous road conditions.
Restrictions were placed on a number of bridges throughout Scotland, including the Forth Road Bridge where wind speeds approaching 70mph were recorded.
A spate of vehicle breakdowns caused further disruption as tens of thousands of people flocked to supermarkets and shopping centres. The AA described the conditions as a ‘pretty nasty cocktail of potential road disruption’.
Travelling to or from many island communities was almost impossible.
Ferry operator CalMac’s west coast timetable was badly affected by the appalling conditions, with 22 of the firm’s 26 routes cancelled for the day.
Operations director Drew Collier warned: ‘There is little sign of a let-up over the next few days so the disruption is highly likely to continue right across the weekend and Boxing Day – although each and every sailing will be kept under constant review and we will assess weather windows as and when they present themselves.’
Some of those hoping to fly instead were also left bitterly disappointed.
There were cancellations from Inverness and Aberdeen to Sumburgh on Shetland, Barra to Glasgow and also Campbeltown to Glasgow.
Airline Loganair brought flights to the Western Isles forward by hours to try to avoid the peak of the storm, but delays set in.
The lights also went out at Stornoway Airport, adding to the problems there. Among those affected was 17-year-old Caitlin Davis.
Her grandmother, Cathy Carolan, was hoping to catch what would be the last flight of the day to Lewis from Glasgow but rescheduled services were hampered by bad weather.
Caitlin said: ‘I just want my granny with me for Christmas. She’s 82 years old and we don’t get to see her very often.’
She added: ‘My mum is upset – she’s really worried she’s not going to get to the island.’
Transport Minister Humza Yousaf, who chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Team yesterday, said he and other ministers had been receiving regular updates on the impact of the weather.
‘We shall be continuing to monitor the situation over the festive period including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day to make sure that the most reliable and relevant
‘Disruption highly likely to continue’
information is being communicated to people as early as possible,’ he added.
Amid the chaos caused by Storm Barbara last night forecasters warned of more destructive weather on the way.
Storm Conor is due to hit the UK on Christmas Day, with Scotland once again set to bear the brunt. The third named storm of the winter, it is expected to bring with it winds of up 90mph and will last well into Boxing Day.
The Met Office is warning of travel disruption and the possibility of damage to electricity supplies. Spokesman Oli Claydon said: ‘Most of the impact will be felt on Boxing Day. The main impact will be wind, rather than rain, although there will be rain moving through as well.
‘The associated warnings are a yellow weather warning for wind which encompasses the whole of Scotland. Within that there is a smaller amber warning for wind that takes in the very North-East tip and the Northern Isles.’
In northern England, major roads including the A66 across the Pennines were closed to highsided vehicles after a lorry blew over, while strong crosswinds at Leeds Bradford Airport affected landings and take-offs.
But an end to the long run of wet and windy weather is in sight.
Mr Claydon said: ‘By the time we get through to Tuesday we are looking at a slight regime change again so we could see some high pressure developing, hopefully bringing some more settled conditions to the whole of the UK.’