Thousands left without power and travel is disrupted by Storm Isha
Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said full restoration of power is not expected on Monday.
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Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of people are without power and no ScotRail rush hour trains were running after Storm Isha hit with winds of up to 107mph.
Amber and red warnings were in force at the height of the storm and a yellow alert warning of gusts of up to 80mph is in force until midday on Monday.
Many ferry services have been cancelled and on the roads police have urged motorists to exercise caution when travelling as conditions may be hazardous.
Dozens of schools were also shut on Monday.
I’d like to reassure everyone we are doing everything we can to restore power as quickly and safely as possible
The “destructive” storm-force winds damaged overhead power lines in the north of Scotland, affecting supplies for more than 20,000 Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution customers in the area.
SSEN said that as of 8.45am on Monday supplies had been successfully restored to more than 17,500 customers, with 10,500 properties currently off supply.
It said that while teams are working hard to reconnect customers, full restoration is not expected on Monday because of the widespread damage, and challenges reaching faults because of fallen trees and road closures.
Andy Smith, operations director at SSEN Distribution, said: “From first light this morning our teams have been carrying out line patrols to assess the full extent of any damage to our network.
“This work will continue through the day, enabling us to target our repairs in the right location and provide our customers with estimated restoration times. The latest information will be displayed on our Power Track app.
“We’re working closely with resilience partners to support our customers’ welfare. I’d also encourage anyone who may need additional support to contact our dedicated teams on our power cut helpline, 105.”
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.
A Met Office yellow warning of strong wind remains in force until midday, with warnings of gusts of 50-60mph inland and up 80mph in exposed coastal areas.
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.
ScotRail suspended services at 7pm on Sunday and said there would be no services on Monday morning following the storm.
The company said each route will have to undergo a safety inspection on Monday, meaning it will be later on before any trains can run.
ScotRail customer operations director Phil Campbell said: “We know the impact that the withdrawal of train services will have on customers, but our first priority is always to ensure the safety of staff and passengers – and this is a necessary step to ensure everyone’s safety during the severe weather.”
Speaking later on BBC Radio Scotland, he said it will be late morning and into the afternoon before routes start to reopen.
Network Rail Scotland said it had at least 10 trees to remove from the railway between Garrowhill and Easterhouse on Monday morning, and there has been “significant damage” to overhead wires, which need to be repaired.
Elsewhere, the remains of a garden shed were found on the line at Bellgrove station in Glasgow.
Police warned people to expect disruption.
Police Scotland tweeted: “Conditions for travel across Scotland may be hazardous and extra caution should be exercised by all road users.”
Roads including the M9 and the A1 were among those affected by closures while some bridges were shut to high-sided vehicles.
Many Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services were also disrupted or cancelled because of the weather conditions, while NorthLink ferries warned services may be affected.
In the Highlands 38 schools were shut on Monday, while four were shut in Aberdeenshire and about 20 in Dumfries and Galloway.
On Sunday evening, a flight travelling from Sharm el-Sheikh to Glasgow Airport declared an emergency during Storm Isha.
A spokesman for Glasgow Airport said on Sunday that the Tui flight was “diverted to Manchester due to current weather conditions”.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued 51 flood warnings and 17 flood alerts around the country.
Martin Thomson, national operations manager for resilience at Transport Scotland, said: “Our resilience plans are in full effect. Staff from our trunk road operating companies are patrolling the network and undertaking inspections to respond quickly to any further treefall or blocked drains.
“Their proactive efforts this weekend in terms of branch cutting and drain clearing at vulnerable locations has helped minimise disruption this morning.
“A Met Office yellow warning for wind remains in effect for much of Scotland until midday – and our roads operatives are out there on the network in these difficult conditions doing all they can to respond to the worst impacts of Storm Isha.”