South of Scotland Live: News, sport, weather and travel updates from the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway on Thursday 15 January 2015

Summary

Updates for Thursday 15 January
More news, sport, travel and weather from 09:00 on 16 January 2015

Live Reporting

Nichola Rutherford and Giancarlo Rinaldi

Postpublished at 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Giancarlo Rinaldi
South Scotland reporter, BBC Scotland news website
That's it for a wet and windy day in the south of Scotland.
Tune in for our radio bulletins at 17:30 and then tomorrow morning at 06:30, 07:30 and 08:30.
Email your stories, pictures and views on this service to dumfries@bbc.co.uk or selkirk.news@bbc.co.uk.
Gritters outpublished at 16:48 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Scottish Borders Council
tweets, external: Our gritters will be out to presalt all routes from 6pm this evening and will monitor conditions first thing tomorrow #sbctravel
More snow duepublished at 16:38 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Lowther Hills Ski Club tweets, external: View of Lowther Hill from Wanlockhead today. More snow on the way. Members will receive an update by email on Friday.
Image source, Lowther Hills Ski Club
Wet and windy eveningpublished at 16:32 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
BBC Scotland Weather
Latest
In the south west it will be wet and windy this evening, with gusts of 60mph or more along the Galloway coast.
Overnight there will be some drier, clearer spells but also increasingly wintry showers and a risk of ice
Snow will settle above about 150m, and the very strong winds will lead to drifting on high ground, and difficult conditions over higher level routes.
In the Borders, rain will pull away southwards this evening, leaving clear spells, a risk of ice, and a scattering of increasingly wintry showers. Winds will be gale force for a time, easing back towards morning.
Temperatures will be about freezing across the region.
Portpatrick stormpublished at 16:26 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
via Facebook
Portpatrick Lifeboat have shared a photograph on Facebook of a very stormy Portpatrick, which is feeling the full force of today's weather.
Image source, Portpatrick lifeboat
Ice attractionpublished at 16:21 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Tickets have gone on sale for the Women's World Championship (Division 2) ice hockey in Dumfries.
The six-team tournament runs from 30 March to 5 April.
Radio bulletinspublished at 16:05 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
For a full round up of how the weather is affecting our region, tune into BBC Radio Scotland for the local news bulletins at 16:30 and 17:30.
Image source, Thinkstock
The latest news, sport, weather and travel will also be broadcast from our studios in Dumfries and Selkirk at 06:30, 07:30 and 08:30 tomorrow.
Power cutspublished at 15:58 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Debbie Muir
BBC Scotland, Dumfries
Around 2,000 properties are without electricity in Dumfries and Galloway, according to Scottish Power.
Homes in the Stewartry and Wigtownshire are worst affected as the region is hit by stormy weather.
World Hurdle bid preparedpublished at 15:52 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Borders trainer Sandy Thomson has revealed his build-up plans for Seeyouatmidnight ahead of Cheltenham.
"The plan at the moment is to go to the Morebattle Hurdle (at Kelso on 12 February) or the Rendlesham Hurdle (14 February) and then go on to the World Hurdle.
"He is not a flashy work horse.
"He just works away, albeit quite nicely, and we knew when he won at Hexham that we might have something quite good."
M74 slip road re-openspublished at 15:37 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Traffic Scotland
Latest
tweets, external: #A74(M) S/B @ J20 Eaglesfield, the on-slip is now *open* & overturned lorry has been recovered. #BeAware & PLEASE #SlowDown
Wind repairspublished at 15:36 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
BT Scotland tweets:, external Here's a photo of a pole brought down by wind near Duns - Scottish Borders. All customers reconnected quickly.
Image source, BT Scotland
Inquiry delayedpublished at 15:20 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
An inquiry into the death of a cyclist who fell off her bike while delivering phone books in Dumfries has been delayed until May.
Sheila Hyslop, 50, died of her injuries four days after the fall on Albert Road in Dumfries in March last year.
Postpublished at 15:16 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Nithsdale Police tweets, external: Assisted @scotfire_west to close English Street, Dumfries while they removed a loose roof tile.
Roads closedpublished at 15:02 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
A number of minor roads are reported to have been shut due to the bad weather in Dumfries and Galloway.
The Drummore area has been worst affected but problems are also being experienced at Gatehouse-of-Fleet.
Winds close Caerlaverockpublished at 15:01 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
WWT Caerlaverock tweets, external: For the safety of all visitors WWT Caerlaverock will now be closed until the end of the day due to strong winds.
Overturned lorrypublished at 14:52 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Traffic Scotland
Latest
tweets, external: #A74(M) S/B @ J20 Eaglesfield, the on-slip is closed due to overturned lorry. Police there. #BeAware & PLEASE #SlowDown
Mini massagepublished at 14:46 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Border Telegraph
Children have been enjoying a massage during lessons at a Peebles nursery., external
Teacher Diane Allanson believes it is already helping the youngsters at Priorsford Primary School Nursery to concentrate in class.
Carsphairn floodingpublished at 14:30 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Debbie Muir
BBC Scotland, Dumfries
Eight homes in Carsphairn were evacuated last night, when the village was hit by serious flooding.
Firefighters were called to the scene shortly after 23:30 yesterday following heavy rain and high winds.
Crews isolated electrical supplies before working for several hours to pump about six inches of flood water from each property.
Ferry cancelledpublished at 14:13 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
The 15:30 StenaLine sailing from Cairnryan to Belfast has been cancelled due to adverse weather.
Later sailings at 19:30 and 23:30 are also in doubt.
Building repairspublished at 14:00 Greenwich Mean Time 15 January 2015
Scottish Borders Council
tweets, external: Advice on building repairs is available today in Selkirk - drop in anytime between 10am and 4pm http://ow.ly/HfeB3 , external