Severe Weather Warning Issued by Met Office

23 January 2024 at 17:12:05

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for wind covering the Western Isles from 18:00 tonight (23 January) to 08:00 Wednesday (24 January).

The Met Office forecasts strong winds for the Western Isles with the potential for gusts in excess of 75 mph.

The Met Office warning, states:

"A spell of strong west or south-westerly winds associated with Storm Jocelyn is expected to affect parts of western and northern Scotland during Tuesday evening and night. Winds are likely to gust 55-65 mph quite widely while there is potential for gusts of 75 to 80 mph in a few places, in particular exposed parts of the Western Isles and coastal northern Scotland."

Service Impact

There may be adjustments made to homecare services. All those affected will be contacted directly regarding alternative arrangements.

All services are subject to further disruption. Any disruption to Comhairle services will be communicated through the Comhairle social media channels and where appropriate directly to service users.

Travel Advice

Driving in these conditions can be dangerous, for yourself and other road users. If you must drive, you can do this more safely by taking the following actions; drive slowly to minimise the impact of wind gusts, be aware of high sided vehicles/caravans on more exposed roads and be cautious when overtaking, and give cyclists, motorcyclists, lorries and buses more room than usual.

Calmac:

Ferry services may be disrupted. Please keep an eye on the calmac website for further details.  (Status on a route-by-route basis available from the drop-down menu on the front page).

Loganair:

Keep an eye on the Loganair website for updates.

General Advice

The public are advised to secure any loose debris. The construction industry is advised to secure scaffolding and any loose items on building sites.  The Comhairle asks family, neighbours and friends living nearby to assist and support elderly and vulnerable people.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is reminding members of the public to take extra care if using candles during any power cuts which occur due to winter storms. In the event of a loss of 999 services, all fire stations will be manned by emergency services.

SSE is on alert and has put in place its contingency plans to deal with any damage the storm may cause to the electricity network. Any customers who lose their electricity supply are urged to contact SSE on 105 to report damage or highlight neighbours or friends who may need extra help.