Police travel warnings 8th/9th February
Published 7 February 2020
Police travel warning - Scotland - High winds and rain - High risk of disruption - 1200 Hours Saturday 8/2/20 -2359 Hours 9/2/20
Police Scotland is advising drivers that the Met Office has issued weather warnings for wind and rain there is a HIGH RISK OF DISRUPTION FOR ROAD JOURNEYS throughout Scotland. All Scotland's local authority areas will be affected.
Storm Ciara will bring very strong winds and potentially some disruption to travel throughout Saturday and Sunday. Heavy rain is likely to bring some disruption through the weekend.
Strong winds will be widespread and last throughout much of Saturday but will be particularly strong on Sunday. Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are likely across many inland areas and around 70 mph in coastal areas. There is a small chance of even stronger winds across parts of Scotland, potentially 70 to 80 mph. when this will occur. A spell of heavy rain will also affect many regions for a time making driving conditions particularly poor.
One or more periods of heavy rain are expected across parts of Scotland through late Saturday and early Sunday, leading to some travel disruption and flooding. 20-40 mm or rain will fall quite widely, with a few hilly areas receiving 60-80 mm of rain, all within about 18 hours. Poor travel conditions will be exacerbated by the very strong winds. Rain will give way to squally showers later on Sunday morning.
You can expect possible injuries and danger to life from flying debris, large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties, Some damage could happen to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs.
Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. Some roads and bridges may close . Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage . Flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible . Spray and flooding on roads will probably make for difficult driving conditions and longer car and bus journey times. Impacts on rail travel are possible.If you do travel, you are likely to experience significant delays. Congestion caused by all vehicles may restrict the emergency services, recovery vehicles from providing essential assistance.
Drivers of Goods Vehicles and Buses should drive with extreme caution and be aware that you may be requested to park at a suitable position by the police.
Winter driving is a question of common sense and all drivers should ask themselves if they really need to travel when conditions are poor. No-one should ever place themselves at risk on the road and it may be worth making alternative arrangements such as delaying travel until conditions improve or using suitable public transport.
If you are travelling on the roads you should ensure you and your vehicle are adequately prepared for the conditions, making sure you have sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food and water in the event you are delayed. Charge your mobile phone and plan your route as well as alternative routes.
POLICE TRAVEL WARNING - HIGH WINDS - HIGH RISK OF DISRUPTION - VULNERABLE VEHICLES
Police Scotland is advising that the Met Office has issued a Weather Warning for Wind and Rain and that conditions for travel in Scotland may be hazardous due to high winds and EXTRA CAUTION should be exercised.
If you are driving a vehicle which may be vulnerable to being blown over in such conditions along exposed routes including bridges, please exercise additional caution and plan your route to avoid exposed areas or consider cancelling your journey until conditions improve.
Previous incidents have clearly shown the dangers of driving vehicles vulnerable to being blown over in high wind conditions and the subsequent danger created for other road users, emergency services and recovery operatives where incidents have occurred due to drivers ignoring warnings.
Police Scotland and their transport partners remind road users to adhere to road signs and instructions from emergency services for the duration of the weather warnings. This will direct road users to suitable and safe diversion routes.
Please do not use the police emergency or non emergency 101 phone numbers to obtain weather or travel updates.
Listen to media broadcasts especially local radio and Traffic Scotland Radio or visit www.trafficscotland.org. For public transport information visit www.travelinescotland.org. Follow @policescotland and @trafficscotland on Twitter for regular and up to date travel information.
