March in 'lion phase' with winds up to 100mph battering Scotland

Scotland is currently going through what I like to call the “lion phase” of March.

It’s that typically unsettled spell of weather we have to get through before we can finally move into more spring-like conditions. At least, that’s the hope.

Strong winds affected the north and west of the country this morning, with gusts exceeding 70mph in South Uist and reaching close to 70mph in Orkney.

In the mountains, winds briefly peaked at just over 100mph. Further south, places such as Ayrshire, Fife and Edinburgh saw gusts in the mid-40mph range.

Scotland

Two weather warnings issued as winds of up to 80mph to hit Scotland

STV meteorologist Sean Batty has warned of an unsettled week ahead

While these conditions aren’t unusual for March, this is the time of year when many people are simply hoping that spring will hurry up after months of cold, wet and windy weather.

Unfortunately, another spell of strong winds is expected on Thursday. This time the focus shifts further south and east, affecting areas such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Ayr.

Winds aren’t expected to reach the peak values seen overnight, but gusts around 50mph will still be fairly widespread.

There’s also a small risk of gusts reaching 60–70mph in some coastal areas and in locations downwind of hills and mountains, where turbulent winds can accelerate as they descend.

That means parts of Aberdeenshire, Angus and the Borders could experience some particularly strong gusts for a time.

Some bridge restrictions are likely on Thursday, particularly on the Tay, Forth, Kincardine and Clackmannanshire bridges.

For most areas, the strongest winds are expected during the morning and early afternoon before gradually easing later in the day.

Although the main focus of the warning is further south this time, strong winds will still affect northern areas and may disrupt some ferry routes.

Conditions look quieter on Friday and Saturday, but another spell of strong winds is expected on Sunday, which could bring further travel disruption.