Storm Gertrude expected to cause serious disruption across Scotland
Storm Gertrude is expected to bring further heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 90mph on Friday.
Snow and ice are also forecast in some areas as extreme weather continues to batter the British Isles.
A succession of storms since December has seen widespread flooding and major disruption to travel, with the latest misery expected to continue through to the weekend.
The Met Office has issued an amber be prepared'' warning for high winds in Northern Ireland, Scotland and north west and north east England.
Yellow be aware'' warnings for rain, snow and ice are in place across much of the UK.
Forecasters said: West to south-westerly gales are expected to develop widely across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England early on Friday.Winds are expected to widely gust 60-70mph, possibly up to 80mph along exposed coasts and over hills.
Be prepared for the likelihood of difficult driving conditions and disruption to travel, such as cancellation to ferry services and bridge closures.
Some structural damage is also possible, as well as disruption to power supplies. Heavy rain and surface water will be additional hazards in places.''
Engineers are on standby to deal with power outages caused by the extreme weather but householders are urged to be prepared for possible disruption.
A statement from Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) said: We have 400 front line and support staff standing by and we have moved engineers to the areas we expect to be hit by the storm. Mobile generators and other resources are also being moved.
Members of the public should not approach fallen or damaged power lines, which may still be live.''
Around 600 people were evacuated from their homes in the Scottish Borders on Wednesday over renewed flooding fears and firefighters had to rescue a bus driver caught in water on the B6405 route near Hawick.