A wind gust of 147mph has been recorded on the summit of Cairn Gorm in the Highlands as Storm Malik sweeps across Scotland.
An amber warning for wind is currently in place across the east of the country, with parts of the Borders, Lothians, Fife, Tayside and Grampian expected to be worst hit.
A yellow warning is in place across the rest of Scotland.
On Saturday morning, STV meteorologist Sean Batty tweeted: “Had an extreme gust of 147mph recorded on the Cairngorm summit an hour ago.
“This is an incredible strength, but still a way off from the record of 173mph recorded back in 1986.”
Elsewhere, Sean noted 85mph gusts in Inverbervie, Aberdeenshire, and 75mph winds in Wick in the Highlands.
Aboyne in Aberdeenshire has recorded 68mph, Drumalbin in South Lanarkshire has recorded 67mph, and Bishopton in Renfrewshire has recorded 66mph.
STV NewsA number of power cuts have been recorded across the country.
As of 11am, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) experienced more than 120 faults on its high-voltage network.
Power was restored to more than 3800 customers in “extremely challenging conditions”.
Around 48,500 customers currently remain off supply, with the main areas affected being Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perthshire and the Moray Coast.
With high winds forecast to continue throughout the day, some customer supplies may not be restored until Sunday.
Richard Gough, director of distribution system operations at SSEN, said: “Our teams continue to respond to the impact of Storm Malik, which has resulted in widespread damage to electricity infrastructure across the north of Scotland.
“With high winds expected to continue throughout the day, it’s possible that some customers may remain off supply overnight and we are mindful of a second weather front arriving on Sunday.
“As soon as our teams have fully assessed the damage caused we will update customers on restoration times.
“We continue to proactively contact customers on our Priority Services Register to offer extra support where required and I’d encourage anyone concerned to give our dedicated teams a call on 105, where we can provide additional support and guidance.”
Roads have also been affected.
The A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was partially blocked due to a fallen tree just north of Cleanhill Roundabout.
The A1 was also closed in both directions between Dunbar and Innerwick in East Lothian as emergency services dealt with fallen live cables.
The A68 at Melrose in the Borders was also restricted in both directions due to debris on the carriageway.
STV NewsScotRail has also withdrawn a number of services as a safety precaution after trees were brought down on the Highland mainline, West Highland Railway Line and Aberdeen-Dundee line.
On Saturday morning, services were suspended between Dundee-Aberdeen, Aberdeen-Inverness, Inverness-Kyle/Wick/Thurso and on the West Highland Railway Line north of Helensburgh.
Speed restrictions were also put in place on the East Coast Mainline, North Berwick branch line, and Borders Railway.
WebsiteLiam Sumpter, Network Rail route director for Scotland, said: “We have taken the decision to stop trains running in some parts of the country while we assess the impact of Storm Malik on our infrastructure.
“The safety of our customers and colleagues is always our first consideration during severe weather.”
STV NewsMr Sumpter added: “We have teams in place across the country ready to react quickly to cut back trees and repair any damage caused by the weather.
“We will reopen the affected lines as quickly as we can for our customers, but are urging passengers to check their journey before traveling.”
Saturday weather warning
Website- Yellow weather warning for Shetland Islands: 12pm until 8pm on Saturday.
- Yellow weather warning for rest of Scotland: 4am until 3pm on Saturday.
- Amber weather warning: 7am until 3pm on Saturday.
Sunday/Monday weather warning
Website- Yellow weather alert: 6pm on Sunday until 12pm on Monday.
Top tips in the event of a power outage
- Have the national 105 emergency helpline on hand: It’s best to keep this on the fridge or saved in the contacts on your mobile phone.
- Store a battery or wind-up torch: Leave this somewhere you can access easily so you can use the torch to check on the fuse box and make your way around the house safely.
- Beware of fallen powerlines: Powerlines may have fallen because of high winds so beware of this when venturing out of your home.
- Keep your mobile phone charged: Having your mobile phone charged means you can call the 105 emergency helpline if needed. It’s also worth having an analogue phone as this doesn’t run off the main electricity supply.
- Join the free Priority Services Register: If electricity is crucial to your health or you just need a little extra help, ask to be included on SP Energy Networks’ Priority Services Register by calling 0330 1010 167 or texting PSR to 61999.
For more information, click here.
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