Extreme Weather Continues

Scotland continues to have its fair share of extreme weather. Following on from the worst winter snow for many a year we were transfixed as a tree in the Howff Cemetery threatened to topple. Elsewhere gale force winds of up to 100 mph left commuters stranded as power cables and trees blocked roads and overhead cables on the rail network were interrupted due to falling debris. The Tay and Forth Road Bridges were closed as were major tourist attractions including Edinburgh Zoo, Stirling Castle and the Falkrik Wheel.

The winds, which reached nearly 80mph, caused damage across the city. Several people watched in horror as trees were uprooted and crashed against their homes or on to vehicles. The Tay Road Bridge was closed while several other main routes around the city, including parts of the Kingsway, had to be closed temporarily due to fallen trees and branches. Police said they received dozens of calls within half an hour as the winds peaked shortly after 2pm.

Part of the roof of the Bay View Bar in Earn Crescent, Menzieshill, blew off after 5pm, striking a woman who was walking in the area. She was taken to Ninewells Hospital with neck and back injuries. Her condition was not known last night but when taken into the ambulance she was breathing and conscious.

The storm blew a piece of metal railing from a building on to a taxi in Meadowside, narrowly missing a pedestrian. The three-foot L-shaped corner section plunged on to the vehicle, causing significant damage.

Part of High Street in Dundee was cordoned off as a precaution as the wind blew sections of roofing from several buildings. Perth Road at Seafield Road was also closed last night after a chimney pot fell from the roof of a tenement building on to a bus shelter. Firefighters raced to the scene and removed other chimney pots that were loose and in danger of falling.

In Albany Terrace an 80-foot tree was uprooted completely, blocking the road and causing extensive damage to two cars parked on the opposite side of the road. Trevor White's Fiat Punto was badly damaged by the fallen tree and he said it was lucky nobody had been killed." I was working at home in the back of the house when I heard the crash. I originally thought something had fallen at the back but couldn't see anything then somebody came to the door to tell me that my car was damaged," he said. Another large tree blocked Constitution Road after being blown over there.

Elsewhere in Dundee, Graeme Paul had a lucky escape as he dodged out of the way of a falling 50ft tree with just seconds to spare. The Broughty Ferry Road resident had gone to warn his neighbours Helen and Mike Lukas that a tree near their house was in danger of toppling. However, as he was ringing the doorbell, the tree fell on to the house. Luckily, Mr Paul was able to scramble out of the way and escape injury. He said, "They've been quite lucky it hasn't damaged the house more. Last year a tree came down and blocked the road but these are the worst winds we've had since we moved here eight years ago." Although the tree fell against the side of the house, it does not appear to have caused any major damage. Mrs Lukas said, "Obviously some of the slates have come off and the rhones are damaged but all the windows are secure. We were both at home. It happened very quickly and it was quite a crash — I've never heard such a loud noise."

Shabana Yaqub (22), of Lammerton Terrace, saw her Peugeot crushed by another falling tree. "I was about to go to work when I saw the tree had fallen. I knew I had parked my car there and I hoped it would have missed but it hadn't. Luckily, it doesn't seem too badly damaged but the car across the road has been."

Sheila Morely, from Dawson Road, returned home to a nasty surprise. "I got home about 2pm and found a tree from the college and blown over and demolished the car port," she said. "It's resting on top of the garage roof but we don't how much damage has been done."

Menzieshill residents Francis Quinn (70) and Irene Gray (65) escaped serious injury after a 40ft tree plunged into their Dickson Avenue home. The couple's patio doors were smashed and a garden wall was knocked down. Mr Quinn, who is retired, said he initially thought the deafening crash was a loud boom of thunder. "I was just in the kitchen and my partner was sitting in the living room watching the television when the tree came crashing down," he said. "It has broken my patio windows, and the wall has been knocked down and all the stuff on the patio has been damaged. I heard the crash and I really thought it was thunder but then I heard my partner shouting and screaming."

The Met Office recorder at Glenogil in Angus saw wind speeds of 79mph and winds are expected to reach 40 to 50mph today. A spokesman for the Met Office said, "There were severe gales across the area, reaching speeds of up to 70mph and even more on the Tay Bridge. Winds will be fresh and strong on Tuesday but nothing like as bad."