Thousands without power as storm continues to batter Scotland

Around 5,000 Scottish homes are without power as the latest band of severe weather sweeps the country.

Gusts of around 80mph have hit exposed parts, with the west and south-west of Scotland worst affected.Properties in Dumfries and Galloway and the north have lost electricity as trees and debris brought down power lines in the regions.Thirteen flood warnings are in place, mainly in Tayside, with as much as 40mm of rain expected in some places.Rainfall on already-saturated ground is likely to flood low-lying agricultural areas but the risk of community flooding is low, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.The strongest gusts of wind have been in Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire (81mph) and in Dundrennan, Dumfries and Galloway (70mph).On the mountain tops the wind reached 93mph in the Cairngorms at 10am today and 75mph in Glen Ogle near Stirling.In Stranraer the fire service had to weigh down a shed with paving stones that was being blown across gardens.Scottish Power says around 3,800 of its customers are cut off, mainly in the Dumfries and Galloway area.”The high winds have brought down trees on to overhead lines cutting power supplies,” a spokesman for the company said.”The weather conditions and road closures are making it difficult for engineers to get to the affected areas but we will do all we can to get people back on the grid as soon as we can.”In Angus, Orkney, Inverness and Aberdeenshire a total of 1,200 homes are without electricity, with Scottish and Southern Energy saying its staff are working to reconnect them.Meanwhile the bad weather has disrupted travel networks.Many roads are blocked by fallen trees and others are flooded.Police are urging people across the country to take extra care if driving.John Griffiths, a forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, said: “Because the eye of the storm is directly over Scotland, it escapes some of the fiercest winds but it will still be fairly gusty with maximum gusts of around 80mph in western and south-western areas.”Outbreaks of rain will become more showery and will continue to ease on Saturday, with the winds decreasing quite significantly too.”Trains to and from Ardrossan and Largs are suspended, while buses are taking would-be rail passengers to Kilwinning station where trains to Glasgow are available.ScotRail said trains in the north may be cancelled at short notice, mainly affecting people around Aberdeen, Inverness and Dingwall.Ferry services are also likely to be disrupted by the high winds.On Christmas Eve, a storm caused widespread disruption that stretched into Christmas Day in some areas. Hundreds of people had their travel plans messed up and as many as 3,500 homes lost their electricity supply.Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “In Scotland, the south-west is being worst affected by today’s heavy rain and strong winds, although conditions are not as severe as the storms that affected the north and north-west earlier this week.”And these windy and wet conditions are not unusual for this time of year. However, we must not be complacent, which is why the Scottish Government’s Resilience committee is closely monitoring the situation, working closely with all our partners to share information and ensure resources are targeted where they are needed.”The risk of flooding appears to be subsiding, although the stormy conditions continue to disrupt the rail network and power supplies. Engineers are working to resolve these issues as soon as possible.”