LONDON: Up to 17,000 residents in the west of Scotland were left without power yesterday morning as a “weather bomb” of wet and windy conditions battered parts of Britain with gusts expected to reach up to 80 miles per hour.
Heavy rain and winds hit Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England overnight with an amber wind warning — meaning there was a potential risk to life and property — in place across Scotland’s western Isles and northern Shetland Islands.
Britain’s Met Office warned people to expect gales, storm force winds and large waves across several parts of northern and central Britain throughout the day.
The “weather bomb”, a meteorological process of rapid cyclogenesis caused by a deep low pressure system, moving between Iceland and Scotland, sent waves of up to 40ft along the west coast.
The Shetland coastguard launched a rescue operation to help a Spanish fishing vessel in difficulties off Orkney, while 20 vehicles were trapped in icy conditions in Aberdeenshire. Many trains and ferry services were cancelled overnight in anticipation of the extreme conditions, and the Forth and Skye road bridges were closed to vehicles on Wednesday morning, with gusts of up to 70mph recorded on the Tay bridge.
In the Western Isles, the worst-hit area of the country, all schools and nurseries were closed, with police advising the public not to travel unless absolutely necessary. Fifteen flood warnings and 12 flood alerts have been issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
High winds were also expected to hit northern parts of England and Wales, with yellow “be aware” warnings in place. Members of the public have taken to social media to warn fellow travellers of disruption, using the hashtag #weatherbomb. Agencies
