Power suppliers have been placed on alert after yellow and amber wind warnings were issued for Scotland ahead of the arrival of Storm Dudley.
Gale force winds are expected to batter communities across the Highlands and Islands, Moray, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire from Wednesday, causing widespread disruption to both the road and transport network.
Wind speeds in excess of 80mph are forecast in the Western Isles with areas of Argyll and the west coast expected to see gales of between 70mph and 75mph.
Wind speeds on higher grounds are estimated to possibly reach 90mph.
Met Office forecasters have imposed a series of weather warnings ahead of the adverse weather conditions.
A yellow warning is in place for the north and north-east of Scotland from 3pm on Wednesday until 6pm on Thursday.
A more severe amber warning has been issued across the central belt and southern parts of Scotland, as well as the north of England.
SSEN move to weather warning status
With less than 48 hours until the elements of the storm take affect, energy bosses from SSEN have moved to weather warning status, as they brace for further power cuts.
In a statement, published on their website, SSEN said provisions are being distributed in preparation for the upcoming storm.
They wrote: “In preparation for this storm, we have enacted our well-established resilience plans, and are both increasing and moving additional resources to key locations in anticipation of any potential network damage.
“We are also in contact with local resilience partners to aid preparations and are issuing proactive communications to customers on our Priority Service Register.
“There is still some uncertainty on the track and timing of Storm Dudley and we will continue to monitor forecasts and update if the situation changes, including any upgrade to our alert status.”
Their actions come just two weeks after engineers battled to restore power to tens of thousands of households in the wake of Storm Malik and Storm Corrie.
Communities in Aberdeenshire faced ‘multiple days’ without power as engineers battled to restore order to the power grid.
Further weather warnings
Weather warnings will comes into affect across mainland Scotland from Wednesday afternoon as Storm Dudley takes hold.
The Met Office has imposed a yellow weather warning for wind, covering the mainland, the Western Isles, Orkney and parts of England and Northern Ireland.
The warning will come into affect from 3pm on Wednesday until 6pm the following evening.
An amber warning has also been been issued by forecasters during the same period, warning of severe disruption across parts of the central belt and Argyll.
The warning will be in place from 6pm on Wednesday until 9am the following morning.
The storm is one of two set to descend on the UK this week, with Storm Eunice set to bring strong winds to communities in the borders, most of England and Northern Ireland.
Disruption to be felt across the transport network
Transport operators have also begun making preparations ahead of Storm Dudley, with ferry crossings facing the axe.
CalMac have cancelled a number of services across the fleet due to the forecast, with officials apologising for the disruption.
❌ RED #Oban #Lochboisdale 16Feb Due to adverse weather forecast, service is cancelled on Wednesday 16th February. We apologise for the disruption caused by the weather.
— CalMac Service Info (@CalMac_Updates) February 14, 2022
Crossings between Oban and Lochboisdale have been cancelled for the duration of the day on Wednesday as services between Fionnphort, on the Isle of Mull, and Iona remain liable to disruption.
Road, rail and air services are all likely to be affected by the conditions, with longer journey times and cancellations possible, as well as potential restrictions on bridges.
The strong winds, which are expected to reach 90mph in some parts, could also lead to fallen trees, damage to buildings and power cuts.
Police Scotland’s travel advice is warning of a high risk of disruption for the amber warning period.
The Transport Scotland resilience room and the multi-agency response team will be stood up for the duration of the warning to monitor conditions.
Traffic Scotland will be providing updates on social media, as well as their website and radio broadcasts, from the national traffic control centre.
Transport minister warns high winds might affect all modes of transport
Minister for transport Jenny Gilruth has warned that Storms Dudley and Eunice will bring “another period of disruption” later this week.
She added: “The Met Office is warning us to expect another period of disruption later this week, with Storm Dudley set to bring strong winds to Scotland. The south of Scotland and the central belt facing the worst of the conditions.
“The Traffic Scotland mobile website – my.trafficscotland.org – lets people get the latest information on the move and the Traffic Scotland twitter page is updated regularly. You can also find details of ‘wind based’ closures for the bridges on the trunk road network, allowing you to check if your planned route is available.
“Other modes of transport are also likely to be affected, so if you are planning to travel by train, ferry or air, please check with your operator to make sure your service is still running.”
Chief inspector Neil Lumsden, of road policing, said: “We are asking motorists to be prepared for the potential for strong winds across Scotland following the weather warnings from the Met Office.
“You should allow extra time for your journey and drive to the road conditions. I would urge motorists to check the Met Office and Traffic Scotland websites and social media before setting out on their journey, particularly in those areas most affected by the predicted adverse weather.”
