Summary

  • Met Office amber "be prepared" warning in place until 18:00

  • 25,000 homes across Scotland without power

  • Widespread disruption to rail services across the country

  • Major incident declared in Dumfries and Galloway

  • Fallen trees affecting multiple routes

Live Reporting

Steven Brocklehurst and Graham Fraser

  1. Road to Southerness blocked in Dumfries and Galloway

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  2. Queensferry Crossing closed to high-sided and 'wind susceptible' vehicles

    Forth Bridges

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  3. Bridge update

    Tay Bridge: Bridge open to cars only - 30 mph speed restriction in place. Central walkway closed.

    Forth Road Bridge: Closed to motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians with wind gusts recorded at 62mph

    Queensferry Crossing: Currently closed to high-sided and wind susceptible vehicles, but is not expected to close to cars or single deck buses.

    Erskine Bridge: Remains closed to high-sided vehicles

  4. How do you drive in the wind?

    As driving conditions continue to deteriorate, police have asked motorists to consider postponing journeys. But if you do have to travel, what should you do to stay safe in high winds?

    Traffic Scotland have issued this advice:

    • Hold the steering wheel firmly – strong winds are constant and can catch you off guard.
    • Give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries and buses more room as they are easily blown off track.

  5. Fallen tree closes road in Perthshire

    The A823 south of the Loaninghead Junction will be closed "for the foreseeable future". Emergency teams have been sent to clear the route.

  6. Train hits tree on the line

    A train travelling from Perth to Aviemore has hit a tree on the line just north of Blair Atholl.

    Scotrail say they have no reports of injuries.

    Passengers have been told the train's windscreen has been damaged and that the train is waiting for a replacement driver to take it back to Perth.

  7. Major incident in Dumfries and Galloway

    A major incident has been declared in Dumfries and Galloway as emergency workers and council staff deal with multiple incidents across the region.

    Trees have been brought down blocking roads and power has been cut to number of communities.

    Police have asked motorists to consider postponing journeys while efforts continues to clear debris from carriageways.

    There have also been reports of chimneys coming down and cladding being blown off roofs.

    One primary school has also been shut because of the conditions.

  8. 77mph in Kirkcudbright - the latest gusts

    Here are the latest wind gusts from our weather presenter Judith Ralston.

    - 77mph at Kirkcudbright, Solway coast

    - 66mph at Machrihanish, Kintyre peninsula

    - 60mph at Stranraer and also in the Trossachs

    - 59mph Prestwick in Ayrshire

  9. Trees down in South Lanarkshire

    The latest on tree blockages from South Lanarkshire Council:

    • Chantinghall Road Hamilton (near Nethan Gate) – tree uprooted and blocking the full road.
    • Newhousemill Road, East Kilbride – tree blocking road near the narrow bridge over the Rotten Calder
    • Meadowbank Avenue, Uddingston – tree across footpath leading to Uddingston Grammar

  10. Dryburgh Abbey closed as storm moves in

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  11. Flying debris is a risk say Met Office

    Severe gales as Storm Ali hits Scotland

    The Met Office warned that flying debris was a risk as this video from in Galston, East Ayrshire, shows.

  12. Tay Road Bridge restrictions

  13. Problems on the rails

    ScotRail are also dealing with a fallen tree which caused power damage and blocked the tracks at Dumbarton Central.

    A ScotRail statement said trees and other obstructions were blowing onto the railway and "blocking tracks across the Central Belt".

    Services have been suspended between Glasgow Central high level and Ayr, Largs, Ardrossan, Gourock, Wemyss Bay, Edinburgh via Shotts, Lanark, Paisley Canal and Barrhead/Kilmarnock.

    NetworkRail Scotland said a north-bound train had struck a tree near Blair Atholl. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.

  14. At a glance: Wind and flood warnings

    • Wind warnings cover central, Tayside, Fife, Grampian, south west, Lothian and Borders and the Strathclyde areas
    • ScotRail services across much of central Scotland suspended
    • Fallen trees close roads in Dumfries and Galloway and North Lanarkshire
    • Flood alerts in place for Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran and Dumfries and Galloway
    • P&O and Stena Line's morning sailings out of Cairnryan suspended
    • CalMac cancels several sailings in the Western Isles.

  15. Drivers advised to delay journeys in Dumfries and Galloway

    Giancarlo Rinaldi
    South Scotland reporter, BBC news website

    A major incident has been declared in Dumfries and Galloway because of the windsDGVost

    A major incident has been declared in Dumfries and Galloway because of the winds

    The impact of Storm Ali has escalated across south west Scotland since mid morning.

    Initially a number of routes were blocked by fallen trees but by lunchtime a major incident was declared due to the scale of the disruption.

    Police said numerous roads were blocked, buildings had suffered significant structural damage and power cuts had been reported placing "huge demand" on services.

    Drivers have now been advised to delay any journeys if possible.

  16. Disruption on the roads in Skye

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  17. Strongest gust in Kircudbright

    Severe gales which are set to get up to 80mph are causing road, rail and ferry travel disruption as Storm Ali hits parts of Scotland.

    The Met Office has issued weather warnings, with an amber "be prepared" alert until 6pm on Wednesday.

    The warning covers central, Tayside, Fife, Grampian, south west, Lothian and Borders and the Strathclyde areas.

    The strongest Storm Ali gust recorded in Scotland so far has been 77mph in Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway.

  18. Objects flying off roofs in Dumfries

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  19. Lots of debris on the roads in the Borders

    Cameron Buttle
    BBC Scotland

    Driving conditions in the Borders are becoming very difficult. There is lots of debris on the roads.

    Scottish Borders Council report multiple incidents of branches down on roads, mainly B roads.

    They also say they are getting reports of power cuts in Jedburgh, Hawick and Peebles.

    Met office are telling the council that bad weather will peak down here about 2pm.

  20. Winds starting to intensify

    Traffic Scotland's operations manager Stein Connolly told the BBC: "We can see these winds starting to intensify and all our staff who are monitoring the bridges are starting to see those closed to high-sided vehicles.

    There is going to be an impact and you need to plan your journey.

    Traffic Scotland are going to keep their site up to date fully.

    If you are planning a journey home make sure you allow plenty of time and make sure your route is available to you.