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Strong winds cause travel issues as Storm Pia hits Scotland

A yellow warning for high winds covers the whole of Scotland

Passengers are being warned against travelling as Storm Pia is expected to cause significant disruption.

The Met Office had issued a yellow weather warning for wind which expired at 15:00. Gusts of 70-80mph are still possible in northern Scotland.

Trains between Edinburgh and England have been cancelled and there is disruption on the ferries.

In Shetland, all schools have been closed due to the storm-force winds and there are power cuts in some areas.

A yellow warning for snow and ice is also in place for Orkney and Shetland from 15:00 on Thursday until 10:00 on Saturday.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said more than 2,000 customers were affected in rural areas, including parts of South Uist, the isle of Lewis and Orkney.

Multiple power cuts have also been reported across Dumfries and Galloway. Properties in Collin, Terregles, Sanquhar, Carronbridge, Moniaive, Colvend, Kirkcudbright, Gatehouse and Leswalt are among those affected.

Met Office Yellow weather warningMet Office
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for most of Scotland and parts of England, Northern Ireland and Wales

The yellow warning initially lasted until 21:00 GMT, but the Met Office later changed that to 15:00 GMT.

Network Rail said many train services would only run once safety inspections had taken place, leading to some cancellations.

Rail operator Transpennnie Express (TPE) is "strongly" advising customers not to travel during the storm, asking customers to delay their journeys in and out of Edinburgh until after 15:00 GMT.

  • Speed restrictions are in place for trains running to and from Edinburgh and and there are no services between the city and north-west England until Thursday afternoon
  • The West Highland line, Kyle of Lochalsh line, and the Far North line, along with Inverness-Inverurie services, are all subject to inspections
  • Speed restrictions are in place in the central belt and the south of Scotland
  • All bus services in Orkney are suspended due to the windy conditions
  • School bus services in Sanday, Westray and Eday are cancelled but Orkney Islands council says schools are open there
  • Ferry services across the west coast of Scotland have been cancelled, along with some services on the Stena Line route between Cairnryan and Belfast
  • Pupils at Moffat Academy, Moffat Primary and St Mungo School in Dumfries and Galloway have also been sent home due to power outages
  • The A83 Rest and Be Thankful is closed in both directions due to a HGV on its side

Travellers have been warned of "short-notice changes to journeys" on ScotRail services and are advised to check ahead, while additional engineers will be deployed to deal with any incidents.

Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesman, said: "It is quite a wide wind warning area. Gusts are forecast quite widely to be 45mph to 55mph, possibly 65mph to 70mph to the east of high ground in Scotland.

"The strongest winds are likely to be found in the north and north-east of Scotland, including the Northern Isles, with 70-80mph in the morning."

Shetland ferry terminal
Ferries in Shetland have been cancelled due to the windy conditions

Where will Storm Pia hit?

The Met Office yellow weather warning covers much of Scotland.

The strongest winds are likely to be across the far north and north-east of Scotland, including the Northern Isles during the morning, where gusts are set to reach up to 80mph.

The warning also covers Belfast, Newcastle upon Tyne and Manchester.

Latest gusts:

  • 80mph Baltasound, Shetland
  • 76mph Altnaharra, Highland
  • 72mph Fair Isle
  • 70mph Lerwick, Shetland
  • 70mph Wick Airport
  • 69mph Loch Glascarnoch, Highland
  • 69mph Kirkwall, Orkney
  • 67mph South Uist
  • 65mph Drumalbin
  • 65mph Dundrennan
  • 64mph Stornoway

The Met Office also forecasts showers, with more rain expected on Friday.