BLOWN TO PIECES

Air, rail, road and ferries badly disrupted as damaging winds sweep across Scotland

- BY JOHN DINGWALL

STORM Floris battered Scotland yesterday, causing serious transport problems and leaving thousands of homes without power.

Rail, road, air and ferry travel was disrupted and events cancelled as 100mph gusts and heavy rain swept in from the Atlantic.

Disruption on the railways left passengers multiple facing cancellations while a number of roads were blocked by falling trees.

Planes struggled to land in the unpredictable winds, with several flights cancelled and others diverted.

Western coastal areas bore the brunt of the summer storm but strong winds and heavy rain also hit the rest of the country.

An amber weather warning was in place in an area stretching from the Central Belt to the north coast until 11pm, with the Met Office saying injuries and danger to life were expected from large waves hitting seafronts, coastal roads and properties.

In Glasgow, a trailer blew over on the Kingston Bridge on Glasgow's M8 at 12.40pm, sparking delays as police closed a westbound lane.