Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop has warned travellers could be in for “another period of disruption” as the country prepares for the latest winter storm.
Storm Darragh – the fourth named storm of the season – is expected to bring winds of up to 80mph and heavy rain late on Friday and into Saturday.
The south-west of Scotland “will likely see the worst of the conditions”, Ms Hyslop warned, as she urged travellers to plan ahead. The Met Office has issued an amber warning.
It says there will be “potentially damaging” winds for the west coast of the UK from South Ayrshire down to Cornwall, as well as in Northern Ireland, on Saturday from 3am until 9pm.
A yellow warning is also in place for wind and rain on Thursday across parts of Scotland, plus Northern Ireland, Wales, and England. A further yellow warning for wind remains in place for Sunday across parts of Scotland, as well as the rest of the UK.
Ms Hyslop said: “The Met Office is warning us to expect another period of disruption this weekend, with Storm Darragh set to bring strong winds to the south of Scotland. The south west in particular will likely see the worst of the conditions.
“High winds will bring challenges for the trunk road network, so travellers should make sure they plan their journey in advance, drive to the conditions and follow Police Scotland travel advice.” Drivers can get the latest information on the Traffic Scotland website.
She added the site will have details of any bridge closures. Rail, air and ferry services could also be hit by the conditions, and Ms Hyslop urged travellers to “check with your operator to make sure your service is still running”.
The Met Office warned flying debris could cause injury or danger to life, with the storm perhaps causing damage to buildings. Power cuts and large waves could also occur, while some roads and bridges may be closed, with falling trees posing an additional hazard.
Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of road policing at Police Scotland, said: “Drivers of vehicles vulnerable to being blown over should plan their route to avoid exposed areas, or consider delaying your journey until conditions improve.
“Plan ahead and keep updated by checking the Met Office and Traffic Scotland websites and social media.” Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly also spoke about the storm.
He said: “Storm Darragh is an evolving system and will bring several hazards, including wind gusts of up to 70-80mph around western coasts, especially from Devon and Cornwall to south-west Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“Wind speeds in inland areas will be slightly reduced, with maximum gusts expected to reach 60-70mph.” Senior forecaster Simon Partridge said there will be some “very dangerous” conditions, particularly around coastal areas.
He said: “The main thing is unless you really need to be going out in this on Saturday, it’s best to avoid it, particularly if you live in any of those areas covered by the amber wind warning.
“Seventy mph winds are dangerous and we could see, as the warnings suggest, a risk to life as a result. We have a very blustery spell of weather ahead.”
He added: “Amber warnings are usually over small areas, but because of the track of the storm, this will actually affect quite a large part of the UK.”
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