The Highlands are on standby for storms as gusts of up to 80mph are forecast to batter the area today.
The forecast is so bad that Scottish Hydro Electric they are mobilising engineers to the areas where the wonds might be highest.
The Met Office has a yellow warning for high wind in place from noon today until 5am tomorrow.
A spokesman said: “Severe gales will affect parts of western Scotland and northern coastal areas of Northern Ireland on Monday, transferring north and east across Scotland on Monday night before clearing northeast Scotland early on Tuesday morning.
“Gusts of 70-80mph are likely in exposed parts of western and northern Scotland. Elsewhere in the warning area, gusts of 60-70mph are possible at times. Large waves will develop around coasts, especially in the west and north. Accompanying the strong winds, there will also be some periods of heavy rain, along with potential for several cm of snow on some high level routes mainly above 980ft during Monday.
“The public should be aware of the potential for disruption, particularly to transport and power supplies.”
Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution (SHEPD) is operating at yellow alert status in response to the severe weather forecast.
Independent forecasters are predicting gusts of up to 90 mph across Argyll, the Western Isles and north west Highlands.
The electricity distributor has mobilised several hundred front line and support staff to deal with any damage the storm may cause to the electricity network.
Rodney Grubb, head of operations, said: “Going to yellow alert indicates how serious we are taking the forecasted high winds and the impact they might have on our electricity network. We are mobilising our engineers and they will do whatever they can to keep the power on for our customers. I would ask customers to ensure anything that has the potential to become wind borne debris, such as garden furniture, is secured or stored indoors to prevent possible damage to the power lines.”
Ferries throughout the north and west have been cancelled. On the Pentland Firth route Northlink cancelled its late afternoon and early evening sailings between Stromness and Scrabster. Tonight’s Aberdeen to Lerwick sailing was cancelled and rescheduled for early tomorrow morning.
On the west coast, operator CalMac has been forced to cancel sailings to Ardnamurchan, Arran, Barra, Eriskay, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay, Harris, Islay, Lewis, Mull, North Uist, Raasay, Skye, Small Isles.
Many more routes are experiencing disruption, including Gigha, Iona and Lismore.
SHEPD, which serves 750,000 homes and business across the north of Scotland, is working with councils, emergency services and a number of other agencies to ensure that vulnerable customers are looked after. Calls are being made to most vulnerable people offering them a priority service.
Anyone who loses their electricity supply is urged to contact SHEPD’s dedicated team on 0800 300 999 to report damage or highlight neighbours or friends who may need extra help.