Two portable cabins blown onto M8 as Storm Jonas hits Scotland

Two portable cabins have been blown off a lorry onto the M8 in Glasgow as the remnants of Storm Jonas batter the west of Scotland.

Published 26th Jan 2016

High winds and heavy rain have battered Scotland as the country feels the effects of Storm Jonas.

The remnants of the storm which brought record levels of snow to America's east coast have begun to sweep in from the Atlantic, prompting weather and flood alerts.

Train, ferry and road travel have been affected, just weeks after heavy flooding brought misery to many communities.

This morning, two portable cabins were blown off a lorry onto the M8 near Hillington in Glasgow.

In Edinburgh, a bus passenger was reportedly injured after a chimney was blown off a building and smashed through a bus window on Nicolson Street.

Sepa has more than 40 flood warnings in place across the country, from the Borders up to the Angus region.

Traffic Scotland reported overturned HGVs on the A1 Dunbar to Haddington route and a load was blown off a truck at junction 26 of the M8, blocking two lanes.

Drivers were warned of heavy surface water between junctions 9 and 10 of the M9, on the A76 south of Sanquhar and on the A9 at Auchterarder, with the Perthshire route said to be affected by six inches of standing water.

Rail operators said passengers should be aware of potential disruption after flooding caused difficulties at Helensburgh, Kirkconnel and Kilwinning.

Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services were also affected, with more than a dozen routes cancelled or disrupted.

Met Office rain warnings are in place across mainland Scotland and the Western Isles, with a risk of severe gales and localised flooding.

Forecasters said: "Gusts of 70mph are likely along south-facing coasts of south-west Scotland, with large waves also expected.

"A further 15-30mm rain is likely in places before the rain eases later today.''

Further bands of heavy rain are forecast for Wednesday and Friday.