Storm Barra brought gusts of up to 60mph to Tayside and Fife, damaging buildings, felling trees and causing traffic chaos.
Scotland’s second named storm of the winter caused heavy congestion in Dundee city centre for several hours after major route Dock Street was shut due to damage to the Holiday Inn Express.
In Cupar, large sheets of metal fell from a roof, crushing the bonnet of a car and hitting a passer-by who was lucky to escape serious injury.
Storm Barra
Yellow weather warnings for wind, snow and ice were in force across much of Scotland, with the storm slowly sweeping east across the country after hitting Ireland in the morning.
Trains were cancelled on the Fife circle, while carriages heading north to Dundee, Angus and beyond were also affected.
The issues at Dock Street meant traffic came to a standstill across the city centre.
One motorist described the mayhem as the worst traffic she’d ever seen in the city, with many stuck during rush hour.
Many buses were stationary with passengers left sitting for over two hours as emergency services blocked off Dock Street amid safety concerns.
Cladding appeared to come away from the Holiday Inn Express with firefighters unable to secure the building until later in the evening amid continuing strong winds.
The northbound exit ramp off the Tay Road Bridge towards Aberdeen had to be shut, which was a major factor in spreading congestion to the West Marketgait and other areas.
Metal breaks off building in Cupar
Crossgate in Cupar was closed after roof damage to a property on the thoroughfare.
Police and emergency services rushed to the area amid safety concerns for drivers and pedestrians.
One man said he rushed to the street after hearing a “hell of a clatter” to find large sheets of metal on the street at about 2.30pm.
Several pieces of cladding are believed to have fallen from the roof of a building which houses the town’s Specsavers.
Some of the metal sheets — described as being about 3m long — landed on to two cars parked outside the neighbouring Poundstretcher, leaving a Ford Fiesta badly damaged.
A woman is also said to have escaped injury despite being hit by some of the debris on the street.
The man said: “We heard a hell of a clatter and heard a woman screaming. I called 101 and said loads of metal sheets just came off the roof.
“A girl got hit. A few cars got hit. A Ford Fiesta got its bonnet caved in. Another one was hit there and damaged.
“We lifted them (some of the metal sheets) into the alleyway. They had travelled quite a way.”
Elsewhere, the A93 Spittal of Glenshee was shut, as well as various minor roads in Perth & Kinross.
The A92 between Montrose and North Esk Bridge has been closed overnight due to fallen trees on the road.
Large waves were seen battering against Arbroath’s harbour and by the seafront in Broughty Ferry.
Wet weather to continue
Sadly, despite the yellow weather warning coming to an end, the miserable outlook is set to continue across Scotland.
In Tayside and Fife on Wednesday, it will be mostly cloudy with showers and occasional drier and brighter spells with a maximum temperature of 6°C.
Some of the showers will be heavy and wintry over the hills. Strong south-easterly winds will gradually ease down.
It will be a bit drier and brighter on Thursday with lighter winds.
At first on Friday, it will be cloudy with a little rain then drier with some sunshine.
Wet and windy weather will cross all parts during Saturday.
