Locals across Tayside and Fife have been told to brace for extreme conditions this weekend as Storm Ciara batters the country.
Gusts of up to 80mph could sweep into the local area from Saturday into Sunday – when the whole of the UK will be placed under a Met Office yellow warning for wind.
Though the west of Scotland is expected to experience the worst of Ciara, the Met Office says storm-force winds could cause chaos across Tayside and Fife.
It will be the third named storm of the season – and is expected to be the biggest.
#StormCiara was named on Wednesday morning.
What's causing this very unsettled weather and when will it affect the UK? Find out here 👇 pic.twitter.com/VtrUvcYY0u
— Met Office (@metoffice) February 5, 2020
Widespread winds of 50mph-60mph are forecast from Saturday, with gusts of between 70mph-80mph likely in coastal regions and hilltops.
Locals have been warned to stay away from the coast and to expect widespread travel disruption which will affect roads, bridges, trains and planes.
Downed trees could also lead to power outages in some areas.
Met Office meteorologist Luke Miall said the weather is going to be “very, very unsettled” on Sunday with bursts of heavy rain also expected.
He added:Â “We have got some stormy weather on the way. We are going to see two swathes of strong winds. The first one is on Saturday evening and overnight, and is in association with a cold front. There will be pretty heavy rain and lively winds.
“The second swathe, Storm Ciara, will push its way during the day on Sunday. There will be windy spells from Saturday onward really.
“In terms of wind speeds it will be widespread 50mph-60mph with potentially 60mph-80mph gusts, mostly over coastal and hilly areas. There will be frequent heavy showers as well.
“The weather is going to be very, very unsettled on Sunday.
“There is a weather warning which basically covers the entire country at the moment. There is a probability that that will be tweaked again on Thursday to perhaps include more detail in areas more likely to see strong winds.
“On Sunday there is high, strong tides. Coastal areas will see large waves. Stay away from the immediate coastline.”
Storm Ciara is being caused by a clash of temperatures over the Atlantic in North America.
Freezing air from the north combining with tropical conditions from the south has resulted in a 30C temperature difference, which Mr Miall said has created a “really powerful jet stream which is going to reach 265mph”.
