Storm Gertrude: Scotland battered by high winds
Storm Gertrude has caused damage and disruption, with gusts reaching more than 100mph in Shetland.
Across Scotland, schools have been shut, homes have lost power, trains, flights and ferries have been cancelled and bridges were closed. An earlier amber warning has now become a yellow alert for wind and snow which covers much of the UK. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) issued more than 40 flood warnings. The storm raged across Scotland through the morning with Shetland bearing the brunt of the high winds in the afternoon. Loganair said 11 flights in and out of Shetland scheduled for Friday have been cancelled because of the weather. The airline said passengers could find information on its website about rebooking flights. In Edinburgh, a man in his 30s sustained head injuries when he was knocked down by flying debris. He is in a stable condition and being treated at Edinburgh Royal infirmary. Trains between Edinburgh and London were delayed with some east coast services north of Newcastle cancelled altogether, after high winds resulted in damage to overhead power lines along the route to Berwick. ScotRail has announced a raft of cancellations and reduced services for Friday. Network Rail said flooding at Dalguise viaduct near Pitlochry had shut the line between Perth and Inverness. The weather has caused major travel disruption for drivers with bridges being closed across Scotland. The Forth Road Bridge, Tay, Kessock, Skye and Erskine Bridges have now reopened to cars but remain closed to high-sided vehicles. An HGV overturned on the M9 at Craigforth, just outside Stirling, and the emergency services were called out to lorries blown over on the A96 near Huntly, the M9 near Dunblane and the A90 between Glamis and Forfar. In Edinburgh, a tree fell on to the roof of a bus on Corstorphine Road, although no injuries were reported and in Aberdeen drivers had to avoid a trampoline blown on to the Newtonhill flyover near the A90 at about 06:00. A landslide closed the A82 between Spean Bridge and Invergarry for a while, leading to a 154-mile diversion. Power lost Strong winds and lightning strikes left thousands of people without electricity. Scottish Hydro repair crews have restored power to 11,000 customers but 2,800 homes and businesses remained disconnected late on Friday afternoon. West coast ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne said all 26 routes had been affected either by cancellations or delays. All schools on the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland are closed along with a number of schools in the Highlands.