Schools, nurseries and council facilities in the Western Isles will be in lockdown tomorrow due to the horrific weather forecast.
Violent storms of up to 80mph are forecast to batter the Western Isles, west coast, Orkney and Shetland throughout the day tomorrow.
As a precaution the council have now confirmed that all schools and nurseries in the Western Isles will be closed tomorrow.
Ferries have also been cancelled for the remainder of today as a result of the conditions, with operators warning that the service is likely to remain disrupted on Wednesday.
Several rail routes have been withdrawn from the timetable in preparation for the adverse weather, while the Skye and Kessock Bridges were closed to high sided-vehicles today.
The Met Office also issued an amber warning level throughout the day for coastal areas.
Severe gales with gusts around 80mph mainly over the western and northern isles are forecast.
Waves are also expected to reach up to 65ft offshore due to the storm described as a “weather bomb.”
A Met Office forecaster said that the unsettled weather was being driven by a quickly deepening area of low pressure sitting between the UK and Iceland.
Heavy snow is expected for higher ground, with colder conditions expected to hit lower areas later in the week.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was chairing a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience team this afternoon to discuss preparations for the predicted extreme weather.
