Storm Aiden to cause windy weekend across Scotland

Parts of Scotland are set to be battered by strong winds over the weekend.

Storm Aiden, named by the Irish met service, will see gale-force winds across the Inner Hebrides and Barra on Saturday morning.

By the afternoon, the Hebrides and northern isles – as well as coastal areas in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway – will see winds of between 45-55mph.

And they could hit 60mph in Orkney and the north-east of Scotland later on Saturday, STV meteorologist Sean Batty said.

Storm Aiden is the first named storm of the 2020/21 season – coming five weeks earlier than last year.

While the winds will ease on Halloween night – except for the Northern Isles – they will pick up again on Sunday, with 60-70mph gusts possible in the far north and north-west of Scotland.

Sean said: “That’s where we see the main risk at the moment, but these stronger winds could extend further south as the computer models firm up on the details and I’d urge those concerned to stay updated on forecasts throughout the weekend.”

Ferry disruption is likely and a full moon on Halloween means tides will be higher, increasing the risk of waves overtopping sea walls during strong winds.

It is also likely to be a very wet weekend in many areas across Scotland.

Sean said: “I’m expecting around 30-40mm to fall in the west Highlands, Argyll and across the hills of Dumfries and Galloway on Saturday, but in contrast, Moray will probably have around 8mm.

“More heavy rain will spread across the country on Saturday night and yet more on Sunday night for southern and eastern areas. Some spots in the west Highlands could have as much as 50-60mm of rain through the weekend.

“I always feel we get more flooding issues at this time of year because we have so many leaves coming down and blocking drains. So we can expect some large puddles to develop on the usual roads, so bare this in mind if you’re driving, especially on country roads.

“Some rivers have also been running a bit higher than usual, such as the Cree and Garnock, so additional rain this weekend will likely raise levels again in the west.

“So if you’re planning on some outdoor visiting this weekend prepare for some very unsettled conditions, and if you’re planning on travel prepare for the possibility of disruption, particularly for ferry travel.”