A tornado warning has been issued ahead of the arrival of Storm Eowyn set to batter the Clyde and Argyllshire coasts with 100mph winds this weekend.
The Erskine Bridge is closed until further notice.
The message from Argyll and Bute Council, West Dunbartonshire Council and the Scottish Government via First Minister John Swinney as as follows:
Coorie in. Stay safe, do not travel – we’re receiving reports of storm damage to the road network across the area, from trees down to sea walls being damaged.
Conditions are not safe enough for us to be able to assess the damage and carry out repairs. The red weather warning is still in place, meaning risk of danger to life from flying debris, and other extreme hazards. Advice remains to not travel
We will get out to assess the damage and make sites safe as soon as it’s safe to do so. You can find more information on our website.
Meanwhile, winds of up to 90 miles per hour have ripped the roof off Helensburgh’s showpiece leisure centre and swimming pool, pictured above left, on the town pier.
The Cardross-Helensburgh road was blocked for a time near the entrance to Ardardan Farm and Cardross Crematorium.
THe BBC Scotland News and Scottish Television sent reporters to Helensburgh and interviewed volunteers such as Liam Downs about they had helped to clear some blocked streets and other damage.
Doctors at Dumbarton Health Centre’s Artizan Levenside Practice sent out a message to patients who had booked appointments not to come because the centre buildings had suffered structoral damage.
And The Gingerbread Man in East Clyde Street, Helensburgh, closed its doors to the storm after slates and rubble were blown off the roof of their property.
The Community Council has sent these posters to alert Cardross Residents about Argyll and Bute Council’s response to the severe weather warnings.
Earlier, the Met Office issued a rare red warning which will result in westerly winds rapidly increasing from west to east during the Friday morning rush hour with peak gusts of 80-90 mph fairly widely and perhaps up to 100 mph along some exposed coasts, such as Helensburgh and the Firth of Clyde.
The forecaster said: “This brings the risk of significant disruption to transport and power supplies, as well as dangerous conditions outdoors.”
It came as the European Storm Forecast Experiment published a map putting southern England under a level 2 tornado warning for severe wind gusts with a few tornado events possible. They said: “a strong event cannot be ruled out”.
Warning: Secure your bins. This was one that got away in the last storm to hit Garelochhead.
Democrat reporter
