80mph gales to wreak havoc on Terrible Tuesday

SCOTLAND will be battered by gale force winds tonight as Storm Eleanor sweeps across the country.

Only days after Storm Dylan struck, forecasters have warned of a deep low-pressure system that will bring winds of up to 70mph during today and tomorrow.

Storm Eleanor will arrive around 6pm this evening, with gusts of 60-70mph, perhaps reaching up to 80mph on high ground.

Forecasters say the extreme conditions will still be lashing some areas by tomorrow’s rush hour, just as many people return to work after their Christmas holidays.

Even motorists who are not returning to work are expected to travel to shopping centres and high streets to take advantage of the sales.

A Met Office warning states: ‘A deepening area of low pressure is expected to track northeastwards across the northern half of the UK.

‘This will most likely bring a spell of very strong winds to Northern Ireland later on Tuesday.

‘It will then move northeastwards across parts of southern Scotland and Northern England before clearing into the North Sea early on Wednesday.

‘There is, however, still a lot of uncertainty over the exact track that the low pressure will take and hence where precisely the strongest winds will be.

‘Gales with gusts of 60mph to 70mph are likely, while some western coastal areas have a chance of seeing gusts of 80mph.’

The affected areas are expected to be confined to Central, Tayside, Fife, Lothian and Borders, south-west Scotland, and the greater Glasgow area.

The Met Office said higher parts of Scotland will see snow showers today, followed by ice later.

Unsettled weather will continue through the rest of the week with further bouts of wet and windy weather interspersed with brighter, showery periods.

Met Office deputy chief forecaster Dan Harris said: ‘Later in the week and over the weekend there are signs of a trend to colder conditions, especially in the north, with clearer skies and a return of the risk of frost, ice and wintry showers.

‘It could remain more unsettled in the south. Details of the forecast later this week and into the weekend are extremely uncertain at this stage, so my advice is to keep up to date with the latest forecasts.’

New Year’s Day witnessed a number of accidents on the roads, including the M80 southbound, when the outside lane was blocked by an overturned vehicle.

South of the Border, another yellow weather warning for high winds was in place last night.

Carol Holt, England’s Environment Agency’s flood duty manager, said the winds and potential large waves, combined with high tides, could cause coastal flooding.

‘Frost, ice and wintry showers’