Scotland's weather: Possible 90mph gusts as Storm Ali arrives on Scotland's west coast

Storm Ali has just arrived in the west of Scotland and is starting to sweep its way across the country - and gusts of between 80mph and 90mph are now expected.

High waves at Saltcoats

The Met Office amber "be prepared" warning for wind remains in place for a large part of Scotland until 6pm today, and the warning has been extended further north up the Aberdeenshire coast. A yellow "be aware" wind warning is also in place for all of Scotland until 10pm.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said that the top wind speed recorded in Scotland this morning so far is 64mph at the Bealach na Ba in the west Highlands.

He added: "Strong winds are now arriving in the west coast of Scotland. And we have had gusts of 87mph recorded at Mace Head today in the west coast of Ireland. We could see gusts of between 80mph and 90mph in the afternoon in Scotland today.

"The amber warning has just been extended a bit further north up the Aberdeenshire coast and this is where we will get some of the strongest winds, in the early evening at the back end of the storm."

Planes, trains and ferries are all likely to be affected today, with 27 of the 28 CalMac routes subject to disruption or cancellation.

The Queensferry Crossing could be forced to close to all high-sided vehicles for the first time today, with a forecast for 76mph gusts at the Forth bridges.

The Met Office website says there is the possibility of "danger to life" from large waves in coastal areas.

It also says that "flying debris is likely and could lead to injuries or danger to life."

Damage to buildings is possible and trees will be more easily uprooted as the wind catches the leaves. Power cuts are also possible, with the potential to affect other services like mobile phone coverage.

Police advice issued yesterday ahead of the storm urged drivers to ensure they are fully fuelled up, stocked with sufficient food supplies and warm clothing and have a fully charged phone.