After a remarkably mild and settled Christmas break, the UK Met Office has issued an amber severe weather warning warning of 90mph winds to hit Scotland today.
The amber alert, which is valid until midnight tonight, warns: “Very strong winds will affect northern Britain on Wednesday, including the populated Central Lowlands of Scotland. Gusts of 60 to 70 mph are expected, with 80 to 90 mph possible in exposed coastal areas of the west.
“The public should be aware that this could cause disruption to transport.”
The areas affected by the amber warning are Strathclyde, the Highlands, Central Scotland, Tayside & Fife, South West Scotland and the Lothian Borders as well as Northern Ireland.
The forecast predicts the Atlantic storm blast will have passed by tomorrow morning.
Earlier this month, wind gusts of 165mph were measured at the summit of Cairngorm as the worst storm in 15 years battered Scotland.
Scotland's Transport Minister Keith Brown has urged those planning to travel today to plan their journeys in advance and to drive with caution.
He said: "High winds can make travel more hazardous and it is important that people are aware of the conditions on the roads and any consequent delays or disruption so they can plan their journeys accordingly.
"Drivers should be alert to the potential for bridge closures, overturned vehicles and fallen trees and should drive with caution, avoiding unnecessary risks.
"The Scottish Government's resilience team are monitoring the situation as it develops and standing by to step up emergency response arrangements as necessary. The power companies are also prepared to deal with any power cuts.
"I would urge the public to keep checking the Traffic Scotland website and tune in to local radio for real-time information."
But the good news is New Year's Eve looks to be mainly dry and unusually warm with outbreaks of rain only forecast for parts of the North West of England, Scotland and the far South West and south Wales.
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