Scotland's weather: Wind & rain hits as Storm Jonas blows in

The Tradeston Bridge over the Clyde in Glasgow was closed today due to safety concerns. Picture: John Devlin

The remnants of the storm which brought record levels of snow to America’s east coast swept in from the Atlantic, prompting weather and flood alerts.

Train, ferry and road travel were affected, just weeks after heavy flooding brought misery to many communities.

In Edinburgh, a bus passenger received minor injuries after a chimney was blown off a building and smashed through a bus window on Nicolson Street. The road then remained closed until affected buildings were made safe.

In Glasgow, Govan police office has been closed to the public due to weather damage, while police in Stirling warned of surface water affecting all rural routes.

Sepa had more than 40 flood warnings in place across the country, from the Borders up to the Angus region.

Traffic Scotland reported overturned HGVs on the A1 Dunbar to Haddington route and a load was blown off a truck at junction 26 of the M8, blocking two lanes.

Drivers were warned of heavy surface water between junctions 9 and 10 of the M9, on the A76 south of Sanquhar and on the A9 at Auchterarder, with the Perthshire route said to be affected by six inches of standing water.

Rail operators said passengers should be aware of potential disruption after flooding caused difficulties at Helensburgh, Kirkconnel and Kilwinning.

Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services were also affected, with more than a dozen routes cancelled or disrupted.

Met Office rain warnings are in place across mainland Scotland and the Western Isles, with a risk of severe gales and localised flooding.

Forecasters said: “Gusts of 70mph are likely along south-facing coasts of south-west Scotland, with large waves also expected.

“A further 15-30mm rain is likely in places before the rain eases later today.”

Further bands of heavy rain are forecast for today and Friday.

Elsewhere in the UK severe weather warnings were issued as the country prepared a deluge of rain.

Parts of Wales, Yorkshire and south-west England were forecas to get as much as 3.9in (100mm) of rain by the end of yesterday, with Cumbria, which is still reeling from flooding around Christmas, facing up to 2in (51mm). The Met Office warned vulnerable communities to prepare for some flooding.

With scores of flood alerts in place, the Environment Agency (EA) has deployed a number of temporary defences and pumps. The measures include carrying out work on the wider Ullswater valley in Cumbria, as well as in Appleby, Keswick, Cockermouth and Glenridding.

It has also put teams, including military personnel, on the ground across Yorkshire to inspect and repair defences.

The Rivers Severn, Wye and Bristol Avon could also experience some flooding over the coming days, the agency added.