Travel Disruption After Windy Night

More than 70,000 people have been left without power and most rail services in Scotland suspended after strong winds battered the country.

ScotRail suspended all services for safety reasons'' for a time this morning, although some services in central Scotland were restored from around 8am.

It said that Network Rail would need to inspect rail lines across the network for damage this morning before allowing passengers to travel on routes.

Cross border trains were still running.

A gust of 113mph was recorded at Stornoway, the strongest gust there since records began in 1970.

The high winds have left tens of thousands of people without power in the highlands and islands.

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution said that around 73,000 customers are off supply across the north of the country.

Engineers have been dispatched to deal with around 150 faults caused by the high winds.

A company spokeswoman said: We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience this is causing and thank them for their patience.''

Amber warnings have been issued by the Met Office for the north and central belt of Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, as an Atlantic jet stream reaches land.

Gusts between 60mph and 70mph are expected in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, where the Met Office has put in place yellow ''be prepared'' warnings

The Forth Road Bridge was closed to all vehicles after a van blew over just before 1am, reopening to cars at around 8am, while many roads around the country have been affected by fallen trees.

Police in Inverness said that several roads and bridges, including the Skye Bridge and Dornoch Bridge, have been closed in northern Scotland.

Flood warnings are in place in central and northern Scotland and all schools in the Western Isles and Orkney have been closed as a precaution, with ferry and train timetables reduced because of the winds.

Heriot Primary in Paisley, Renfrewshire, will be closed today as its roof has been damaged by the weather.

Several CalMac and NorthLink ferry services have been affected by disruption or cancellations.

Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ''The winds will be at their strongest through the early hours of Friday and this brings the potential for disruption across Scotland, but there is a chance that strong, gusty winds could persist into the early part of the morning rush-hour as well.

''We'd advise anyone planning to travel during the early part of the morning and into the early rush-hour to be prepared for some transport disruption and check traffic and travel conditions before heading out to ensure you can make your journey safely.''

A gust of 110mph was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands, the Met Office said.

Lashing rain is also to continue along the west coast today and over the weekend as a second storm is predicted to bring more gale-force winds tomorrow.

The ferocious gales have been stirred up by an extra-powerful jet stream triggered by plunging temperatures in the United States hitting warmer air in the south.

The bad weather led to delays to CrossCountry trains running between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Newcastle while in Kent a broken-down train at Westgate-On-Sea caused hold-ups to services between Margate and Chatham.

On the roads, high-sided vehicles were advised to avoid using the Ouse Bridge on the M62 in Yorkshire.

All schools in Orkney and several in the Highlands have been closed due to the weather.

Police said that travel conditions in the Highlands and Islands areas are hazardous'' and advised against travelling along causeways or low-lying coastal roads.

The Churchill Barriers in Orkney have been closed.

A police spokesman said: Police are advising that conditions for travel in the Highlands and Islands areas are hazardous and caution should be exercised as there are high possibilities of road closures due to fallen trees and debris.

Members of the public are urged to regularly check partner agency websites and listen to radio reports for further updates.

If you are travelling, you should ensure you and your vehicle are adequately prepared for the conditions, making sure you have sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food and water in the event you are delayed for several hours.

Charge your mobile phone and plan your route as well as alternative routes.''

Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) said it had reconnected a further 18,000 customers who were without power overnight.

Around 6,000 Scottish Power customers are without power in areas including parts of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire. It has reconnected another 6,000 overnight.

On the railways a reduced service was restored between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley at around 9am, with trains every half hour.

A ScotRail spokeswoman said: For safety reasons, this morning it has been necessary for Network Rail to inspect rail lines across the network before allowing passengers to travel.

Some services have already been restored in a controlled manner, and we are continuing to assess the situation. Please check our website for regular updates.''

Police shut the A1 between Durham and Chester-le-Street in both directions after a lorry lost its load.

A member of the road policing unit tweeted: It's very windy folks, please take care.''

Two fire crews were called to Mariscat Road on Glasgow's southside where the wind blew bits of roof off a housing block and on to the street.

The street has been cordoned off and they are using an elevated platform to assess damage.

Locals said they heard the wind causing damage at around 2.30am.

One of the main shopping streets in York was closed to pedestrians this morning while the fire service and police secured a roof-top barrier that had been damaged by the wind.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said Coney Street was cordoned off while the barrier on the roof of a Next store was made safe.

The spokesman said: The fire service were at the scene and asked us for assistance because there was a barrier on top of Next that needed securing. We cordoned off Coney Street to stop pedestrians getting past while they secured the barrier.''

City of York Council said they had decided to close Shambles Market in Parliament Street due to severe wind today and safety concerns''.

In Leeds, the Bridgewater Place junction was closed to all traffic and pedestrians. The closure was later lifted but remained in place to high-sided vehicles.

Leeds City Council said it would continue to monitor changing wind conditions throughout the day in case closures needed to be reinstated.

The Ouse Bridge, on the M62 at Goole, East Yorkshire, and the Humber Bridge were both closed to high-sided vehicles and the speed limit on the Humber Bridge was reduced to 20mph.