Storm Hector wreaks chaos
A WOMAN is being treated in hospital after she was struck by a roof slate as high winds caused by Storm Hector swept the UK.
Emergency services were called to Dalry Road in Edinburgh at around 9.40am yesterday and the woman, who is in her 40s, was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for treatment.
It comes amid a yellow “be aware” weather warning covering Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland.
Fallen trees have caused widespread travel problems. Scotrail said “chainsaw gangs” and overhead line teams had been deployed across the rail network to remove trees and branches that caused delays and cancellations to services.
Areas affected north of the Border include Ayrshire, Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth and North Lanarkshire.
In England, police closed the Tees flyover to high-sided vehicles and the Shields Ferry across the Tyne was not operating.
A gust of 74mph in Orlock Head, Northern Ireland, broke the June record for a gust in
Ireland, the Met Office said.
The storm brought heavy rain to parts of Cumbria with 3.2in falling, and 5.1in on the Isle of Skye.
The Tay Bridge was closed to all traffic as winds picked up while the Forth Road Bridge was closed to double-decker buses.
An outdoor mass planned at Falkirk
Stadium to mark 100 years of Catholic education in Scotland was cancelled because of the weather.
Met Office meteorologist Aidan Mcgivern said: “The wettest weather will be out of the way, but there will be some blustery showers following and, with the yellow warning in force, disruption is possible.
“But clearer skies should open out by the start of Friday.”