Humza Yousaf warns of more disruption from Storm Jocelyn

First Minister Humza Yousaf paid tribute to the first victim of Storm Isha as he warned of more disruption due to the amber weather warning for Storm Jocelyn.

Around 15,000 people remained without power on Monday evening, following Storm Isha which claimed the life of an 84-year-old man who died when a car collided with a tree in Grangemouth, Falkirk, around 11.45pm on Sunday.

Police said he was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other occupants of the Hyundai were unhurt, with winds reaching 107mph in the amber warning.

First Minister Humza Yousaf warned of more disruption with a further amber warning issued for Storm Jocelyn on Tuesday, and ScotRail cancelled trains for the second time in a week.

Commuters were warned ScotRail services would stop at 7pm on Tuesday, with no rush hour services on Wednesday morning – the second cancellation this week.

At least 66 schools were closed on Monday, while a block of flats in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, had its roof torn off on Sunday night.

Scottish Power said the storm affected 62,000 customers, with power restored to 58,500 homes after winds of 80mph.

An amber warning for wind has been issued for the northern and western coast of Scotland as far south as Arran, with power cuts and transport disruption predicted, from 6pm tomorrow until 8am on Wednesday.

A yellow warning for rain is also in force from 7am on Tuesday until 6pm on Wednesday, covering much of the west of Scotland and the central belt, from Wigtown to Aviemore.

The whole of Scotland and much of the UK is covered by a yellow warning for high winds from 4pm on Tuesday until 1pm on Wednesday.

Some 17 regional flood alerts and 32 local flood warnings remain in place, and the Met Office warned: “Injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties.”

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution restored power to 36,000 customers on Monday evening, with fewer than 800 customers still off supply.

Operations director Andy Smith branded it a “severe and unpredictable storm”, and Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said the second withdrawal of trans in a week was due to safety.

Mr Yousaf said: “Tragically, Storm Isha has led to lives being lost and I send my sincere condolences to the families affected.

“The strong winds and heavy rain have impacted communities across Scotland. I want to thank all those who have worked throughout the night to keep the public safe and restore normality. But the exceptional weather conditions are not over.

“Storm Jocelyn is likely to cause more disruption, with strong winds buffeting infrastructure and rain falling on already saturated ground. Travel is likely to be difficult, particularly heading into Wednesday’s rush hour, so I urge everyone to follow guidance from Police Scotland and check updates from transport providers, Transport Scotland and the Met Office.”

Martin Thomson, national operations manager for resilience at Transport Scotland, said: “Focus is now shifting onto the next named storm, Jocelyn, for tomorrow into Wednesday, and preparations are underway with rail, aviation and ferries colleagues.

“Staff from trunk road operating companies will be undertaking inspections to respond to any treefall or blocked drains. We expect to see delays and cancellations with ferries, flights and rail from Tuesday into Wednesday morning.”

Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: “The heavy wind and ongoing rain hitting most parts of the country mean that it will not be safe for our customers and our staff, and all ScotRail train services will be suspended from 7pm tomorrow.

“This is the second withdrawal of train services this week, and we know the impact this has on customers, but the safety of staff and passengers will always be our priority.

“Our colleagues at Network Rail Scotland will again be working flat out to carry out safety checks, and assess what repairs are required to reopen the railway.

“Customers will be unable to travel early on Wednesday morning, as trains will not be able to operate until the infrastructure has been made safe.

Appealing for information over the fatal crash, Road Policing Inspector Andrew Thomson said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who died. I’d be keen to speak to anyone who saw what happened or was on the A905 around 11.45pm on Sunday. I’d also request anyone with dashcam footage of Beancross Road around that time, please review your footage.”

A rare red “danger to life” warning of wind was in force in northern Scotland until 5am on Monday, while an amber warning of wind for the whole country was lifted at 6am.

Transport Scotland said a gust of 107mph was recorded on the Tay Bridge – and the Met Office said there was one of 84mph at Salsburgh, North Lanarkshire.

Network Rail Scotland said it had at least 10 trees to remove from the railway between Garrowhill and Easterhouse on Monday, with “significant damage” to overhead wires, while a garden shed was blown onto the line at Bellgrove station in Glasgow.

Roads including the M9 and the A1 were among those affected by closures while some bridges were shut to high-sided vehicles.