UK weather: where could 80mph winds hit? Met Office issues warnings for Scotland

Strong winds of up to 80mph are expected to hit parts of the country in the coming days.

A yellow weather warning for wind is in place for the whole of Scotland between the hours of 8pm on Tuesday (31 January) and 9am on Wednesday (1 February). Meteorologists said the extreme weather, caused by a deep area of low pressure passing to the north of Scotland, will likely cause strong winds in parts of northern England too.

Forecasters said travel could be disrupted in the affected areas, such as ferry crossings, during the high winds, and there could also be some damage to buildings. They said there is also a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.

The Met Office said while gusts of up to 60mph are expected “fairly widely” across Scotland and northern England, there remains “uncertainty” on how the weather could affect Scotland’s Central Belt. The stronger 80mph winds will “most likely” be felt over the north of mainland Scotland and the islands of Lewis and Orkney.

What has the Met Office said?

Dan Stroud, operational meteorologist at the Met Office said: “We are expecting a deep area of low pressure to pass to the north of Scotland late Tuesday and into Wednesday. It is likely to bring a spell of strong and gusty winds to much of Scotland and northern England.

“The strongest winds will be across Scotland with gusts fairly widely up to 60mph and a risk of gusts reaching 80mph, most likely over the north of mainland Scotland, Lewis and Orkney.”

On its website, the Met Office adds: “There is a small chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris. There is a slight chance of some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs.

“There is a small chance of longer journey times or cancellations as road, rail, air and ferry services are affected. There is a small chance that some roads and bridges could close.

“There is a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. There is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.”

Where is the warning in place for?

The warning kicks in at 8pm on 31 January and it remains in place overnight until 9am on 1 February. It has been issued for Scotland by the Met Office.

The following areas are covered by the alert:

Central, Tayside & Fife

Grampian

Highlands & Eilean Siar

SW Scotland, Lothian Borders

Strathclyde