A WEATHER warning has been issued across the whole of Scotland, bringing the potential for travel chaos in the run-up to Christmas.
An area of low pressure will bring winds of 70-80mph in northern Scotland, and 45-55mph elsewhere in Scotland.
The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning from midnight to 9pm on Thursday, meaning travel disruption is likely, power cuts are possible, high-sided vehicles could be affected on exposed roads and coastal routes could be sprayed by high waves.
READ MORE: Richard Murphy - The Scottish Budget is a mess - thanks to the Tories
The low pressure system has been named Storm Pia by the Danish authorities, but it was not expected to be severe enough in the UK to warrant being officially named.
Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesperson, said: “It is quite a wide wind warning area. Gusts are forecast quite widely to be 45-55mph, possibly 65-70mph to the east of high ground in Scotland.
“The strongest winds are likely to be found in the north and north east of Scotland including the Northern Isles, with 70-80mph in the morning.”
READ MORE: Experts find Scotland outperforms UK with green job opportunities in financial sector
The Met Office forecast showers along with the wind, with more rain expected on Friday.
Looking ahead, Dixon said there was the possibility of snow on Christmas Day but only in the far north of Scotland.
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