Woman left fighting for life after Storm Hector chaos
A woman was seriously injured by a slate blown off a roof yesterday as Scotland was battered by Storm Hector.
The woman, who is in her 40s, was believed to be in a critical condition in hospital last night after being struck in Edinburgh.
Several roads and rail routes were blocked by fallen branches and Calmac’s west coast ferry network was severely disrupted.
A woman was injured by falling debris as Storm Hector left a trail of destruction across Scotland, felling trees and sparking flood warnings.
The victim, in her 40s, was treated in hospital after being hit by a roof slate in Dalry Road in Edinburgh around 9:40am yesterday.
Several roads and rail routes were blocked by fallen branches while vehicle restrictions were imposed on bridges.
Calmac’s west coast ferry network was severely disrupted.
Windspeedsreached63mph at Drumablin in South Lanarkshire and 59mph in Edinburgh.
However, the strongest gusts were in Northern Ireland, with 74mph at Orlock Head breaking the June record.
Road closures including part of the A1 in East Lothian.
The Tay Road Bridge was closed to all traffic, while some vehicles were barred from the Erskine and Dornoch bridges.
The Forth Road Bridge, which carries buses, cyclists and pedestrians, was also shut.
Fallen trees blocked several streets in Glasgow, including Great Western Road.
In Edinburgh, Dalry Road, and Strathearn Road in Marchmont, were closed due to falling trees and debris.
Rail lines closed included the Glasgow-london west coast main line after several large trees fell across tracks south of Carlisle.
Trees also blocked rail lines in and around Glasgow, while the winds damaged overhead power lines on routes in Saltcoats, Wemyss Bay, Dalreoch in West Dunbartonshire and Partick in Glasgow.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “Our engineers are working as quickly as they can to repair the significant damage Storm Hector has caused to our infrastructure in Glasgow and across the west coast of Scotland.
“High winds and fallen trees have damaged overhead power lines at a number of locations across the country.
“Engineers are dealing with several significant incidents, including at Saltcoats on the Ayrshire coast and at Dalreoch and Partick on the North Clyde line.
“We are currently reviewing the extent of the work required at each location and putting resources in place to repair the railway and re-introduce services on the affected lines as soon as weather conditions improve.”
Four flood warnings were issued for parts of south-west Scotland by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) for Ayr to Troon, Loch Ryan, Outer Wigtown Bay and Inner Wigtown Bay.
A Sepa spokesperson said: “Due to the strong winds, storm surge and tidal conditions, there is a risk of flooding from the sea around the time of the high tide
“In addition, flood alerts have been issued for areas including Ayrshire and Arran, Dumfries and Galloway and Orkney.
A Met Office yellow “be aware” warning for most of Scotland was in force from 3am to 3pm.