Wind speeds of 91mph recorded in the Scottish Borders, as Storm Éowyn wreaks havoc

Wind speeds of 91mph have been recorded in the Scottish Borders, as Storm Éowyn wreaks havoc across our region.

Roads contractor BEAR Scotland clocked the huge gust on the A7 at Mosspaul shortly after 10am this morning (Friday).

A number of roads remain blocked due to fallen trees and overturned vehicles.

In Berwick, part of the town centre has been sealed off after a section of roof crashed down onto the street below.

The incident unfolded shortly after 9.30am.

Stacey Turton is manager at Farplace animal rescue charity shop, in the town's Marygate. She told Greatest Hits Radio: "I didn't actually see the roof come down, but we saw it lying on the path between WH Smith and Caffè Nero. There was parts of brick and stuff had come down as well and (spilled) right over the road to the other side of the street.

"There was still people trying to come down so it's now all taped off.

"We had the police come round - they were doing the rounds of all the shops - and basically saying that it was unsafe to be open, we should be closed; the entire high street was closed, and it has the potential to get worse as well."

Both Berwick, in North Northumberland, and Mosspaul, in the Scottish Borders, are only covered by an Amber weather warning, while a Red - danger of life - alert has been extended, from northern parts of our region - including Lauder to Peebles - into Dumfries and Galloway.

When asked about the conditions in Berwick, Stacey added: "Very very windy, not what we kind of expected at all. We've got a lot of diversions in Berwick at the moment so we have a lot of signs up, they were flying - literally flying - down the street at one point."

The A68 at the Carter Bar, the A1 north of Cockburnspath and many side roads have also been blocked - with some remaining impassable.

The owners of a house in Galashiels had a lucky escape after strong winds brought a tree down just inches from their front door in Abbotsford Road, shortly after 8am.

Chainsaw teams have been working to clear the debris after the towering trunk crashed through a hedge and partially blocked the neighbouring A7.

All rail and bus services have been suspended; schools and colleges have closed; and non-urgent hospital appointments cancelled.

In-person GP appointments in the Borders are also being converted to telephone consultations, as health chiefs try to limit unnecessary travel.

But some businesses have pledged to stay open. John Taylor, who runs a butcher's shop in Galashiels, told Greatest Hits Radio: "In 20 years I've never closed because of bad weather. (During the snow storms of) Beast from the East we opened and customers still came out. Roads were shut and supermarkets closed - couldn't get bread or milk - but butcher's shops were open and we were really busy."

Haven Holiday Park at Berwick has been forced to close due to the extreme weather - forcing the cancellation of tonight's panto performance.

Other attractions, including Floors Castle in Kelso, have shut their grounds amid concerns over safety.

Berwick bookshop Slightly Foxed has announced it will be closed for the foreseeable future, after it was damaged by the wind.

"The beautiful cupola at the rear of the shop has been blown out in the bad weather," a statement read.

"We would like to thank the amazing community of Bridge Street for helping us with the cleanup and protection from further damage.

"We’re heartbroken but so grateful that no customers were in when it happened."

More than 20 roads have been blocked so far across the Scottish Borders.

And a number of homes have been left without electricity, with reports of power lines down near Kirk Yetholm.

Scottish Borders Council chief executive David Robertson warns the impact of the storm could be felt for days.

"With strong winds expected on Saturday, it's likely that any clear-up efforts will extend right through the weekend, particularly in relation to clearing fallen trees from roads," he told us.

"We're not going to put staff in any danger to clear trees when there's a risk of others coming down, and therefore road closures could be in place for some time."

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