The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fallen tree blocks Perthshire street as gales wreak havoc
Strong winds wreaked havoc in Tayside, knocking out power to nearly 200 homes and causing chaos on roads yesterday.
There is concern further weather disruption will be suffered today, with warnings of heavy rain and wind.
Residents in Errol were hit by a power cut after a SSEN pole was blown over.
The damage was reported at around 4pm, and engineers arrived on site at 5pm to install a new pole.
A SSEN spokesman said around 170 properties were affected.
North Methven Street in Perth city centre was closed yesterday afternoon as fire crews attempted to stabilise stonework and fix loose masonry on buildings.
Emergency services were called to the area just after 2pm, amid concerns debris could be blown on to nearby cars.
A tree also blew down in Scone, blocking Catmoor Road.
Earlier, a van toppled on the A9 near Blackford and the road was closed for around an hour
Public transport was also hit by the weather.
ScotRail suspended all services between Perth and Pitlochry and services were delayed between Dunfermline and Edinburgh after a tree came down on the line at Rosyth.
A fallen tree came within inches of causing serious damage to the back of houses on Arbroath Road, Dundee, when it came down in the neighbouring back gardens on Craigie Avenue.
One resident said: “I heard an almighty crash and when I looked out I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“The big tree just behind our houses had crashed right over. It’s branches are actually touching some of the houses.
“It has knocked over drying poles, fencing and damaged telephone cables.
“It’s a miracle there was no greater damage and thank goodness nobody was outside in the garden when it happened.”
Another resident said: “When I saw it I was shocked.
“The tree has come down within inches of my house.
“Thank goodness there has been no serious damage to anyone’s house and it’s lucky nobody was outside when it happened.”
A third said: “The wind was really building just before the tree came down. Thank goodness no one was hurt in this. It could have been pretty nasty.
“Thankfully none of the houses has been badly affected.”