Danger to life warnings as Storm Amy swings in to hit Scotland with winds of up to 106mph

STORM Amy blasted across Scotland last night to deliver potentially record-breaking wind speeds of more than 106mph.

- By Paul Drury

The fierce "weather bomb" was upgraded to an amber warning across parts of the country with gale-force winds creating 'a danger to life'.

Amy, the first named storm of the season, brought travel chaos across the country and led to a number of schools being closed as a safety precaution.

The storm, generated by the remnants of hurricanes Imelda and Humberto, first hit the exposed Western Isles with predicted gusts of 100mph.

The amber warning covers Aberdeenshire, Moray, the Outer Hebrides, the Highlands and Orkney and will remain in place until mid evening today.

The Met Office said the combined tropical storms were so powerful they may have created an all-time record for the strongest October winds in recorded history.

Today it should become apparent if Amy surpassed the strongest 106mph wind speed recorded at Salsburgh in Lanarkshire in October 1984.

Chief forecaster Neil Armstrong warned the public that there could be "serious disruption" caused by the tempest.