Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended

UK weather: Lorries topple and Christmas markets shut as gale-force winds sweep across country

Latest updates as weather warnings for ice, wind and rain issued across Scotland and northern England 

Emma Snaith
Tuesday 10 December 2019 17:13 GMT
Comments
UK weather: The latest Met Office forecast

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Two lorries were blown over and three crashed as strong winds and heavy rain battered Scotland this morning.

It comes as yellow weather warnings for ice, wind and rain were issued by the Met Office across northern England and Scotland, with gusts of up to 50mph forecast.

Edinburgh Christmas Market and Edinburgh Castle were both closed due to the severe weather.

Please wait a moment for the liveblog to load

Good afternoon, and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of rolling coverage of the gale-force winds and heavy rain sweeping across the UK

emma.snaith10 December 2019 12:06

Two lorries blown over by wind

Two lorries were blown over by the wind as bad weather swept across Scotland on Tuesday morning.

The HGVs were travelling along the A1 when the incident happened between Innerwick and Skateraw in East Lothian at around 7.45am, leaving the road blocked in both directions.

Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were at the scene but there were no reports of any injuries.

emma.snaith10 December 2019 12:16

Double decker bus blown to roadside

A double decker bus was also spotted blown to the roadside in Fife this morning.

emma.snaith10 December 2019 12:24

Edinburgh Christmas market and Castle closed 

Edinburgh Christmas Market and Edinburgh Castle were both closed due to the severe weather in the city today. 

Edinburgh Christmas Market (Getty Images) 

A statement on the Christmas Market's website read: "This entry will be regularly updated to reflect the status of rides and attractions at Edinburgh's Christmas as a result of inclement weather.

"Please note, weather conditions change quickly and although every effort is made to ensure this page is accurate and up-to-date there will be a time delay between closer/opening of rides and this page being updated."

emma.snaith10 December 2019 12:30

A1 closed to high-sided vehicles after lorries overturned

The A1 remains closed to high-sided vehicles from Old Craighall Junction to Berwick-upon-tweed, Traffic Scotland said.

It comes after two lorries toppled over on the road this morning. 

emma.snaith10 December 2019 12:41

Trains cancelled after waves crash over sea wall 

Waves coming over the sea wall at Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, affected railway power lines, causing trains between Kilwinning and Largs and Ardrossan to be cancelled.

Flooding closed the line between Craigendoran and Helensburgh.

emma.snaith10 December 2019 12:52

UK to avoid Storm Brendan despite strong winds 

The UK is likely to avoid Storm Brendan on Tuesday despite weather warnings for wind remaining in place for parts of the country, the Met Office has said.

The South West of England and Wales were hit with gales of up to 70mph over the weekend after Storm Atiyah first hit Ireland on Sunday.

Trees were felled by the gusts, which also caused power faults in the South West and Wales.

emma.snaith10 December 2019 13:05

Winds of up to 65mph to hit Lake District, the Pennines and Scotland

Winds of up to 65mph are set to sweep across the Lake District, the Pennines and Scotland, the Met Office said. 

emma.snaith10 December 2019 13:20

Dundee City Council closed due to power failure

Dundee City Council's headquarters have been closed today due to a power failure.

In a series of tweets, the council said: "Limited customer services will be available for emergencies only, and can be contacted via 01382 434343.

"We are also encountering disruption to our IT systems today. This includes the council's website and those of partner agencies, email and some internal systems.

emma.snaith10 December 2019 13:45

High waves crash over sea walls and trip out power lines

High waves crashing over the sea wall at Salcoats caused power lines to trip out, National Rail Scotland said. 

emma.snaith10 December 2019 14:02

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in