2011-12-09
By staff reporter
Scotland and North Britain were battered by gales of up to 165 mph yesterday, leaving a trail of destruction across parts of the country. Scotland suffered the worst conditions when a cyclone brought hurricane-force winds to most areas throughout the day and into the evening.
An extreme wind speed of 165 mph (245 km/h) was recorded at high levels in the mountains of Aberdeenshire though maximum winds at the surface averaged 105 mph (170 km/h) and 80 mph (130 km/h) in the most populated areas. The high winds generated large waves along coastlines and blew trees and debris into power lines, leaving 60,000 Scottish customers without power.
In Argyll and the Outer Hebrides, power cuts affected another 1,000 residences. The storm shut schools and disrupted transportation, and several roads were flooded.
GAB Robins has reports that of the large number of storm claims received yesterday, the majority were for Scotland, and also for Cumbria, Lancashire and Cornwall. Gale force winds affected the southwest and south coast during the evening but gusts were restricted to a maximum of 60 mph. So far, they said, the vast majority of claims relate to low/modest value building damage.
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