Scotland is set to be hit with high winds and disruption on Friday (February 17) as Storm Otto hits the country.
The storm will bring gusts of more than 75mph in some areas, as the Met Office warns of travel disruption and heavy rainfall.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said: “Storm Otto will bring high winds and rain to the UK, with some northern parts of Scotland and the northeast of England likely to get the strongest gusts of wind, possibly in excess of 75mph.
"Warnings have been issued and could be updated as Storm Otto develops.
“There’s a chance of travel disruption and high-sided vehicles could be particularly prone to disrupted plans in this set-up.
"There’s associated rain with Storm Otto, with 40-50 mm of rain likely to fall over parts of western Scotland.”
#StormOtto, has been named by the Danish Meteorological Institute @dmidk
— Met Office (@metoffice) February 16, 2023
This is our first named storm of the season and is forecast to bring very strong winds to Scotland on Friday
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/jOtCsvxBh6
Potential impacts highlighted in the warning also the likelihood of large waves, especially on North Sea coasts, as well as a chance of some damage to buildings and infrastructure.
A yellow weather warning has been issued for much of the country, meaning disruption is to be expected.
The warning is currently due to be active from 3am Friday morning until 3pm Friday afternoon.
Met Office yellow weather warning for Scotland
The Met Office says people should be aware of the following during the warning period:
- Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible
- Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen
- Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible
- Some roads and bridges may close
- Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
- Injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
Otto is the first named storm to directly impact the UK this storm naming season (from September 2022).
Visit the Met Office website for up-to-date weather information in Renfrewshire.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here