Nearly an inch of rain fell in just 12 hours from 6pm last night causing localised flooding and hazardous conditions today.

Warnings were in place of strong wind and snow bringing more disruption today for northern and southern parts of the country, but Glasgow was expected to escape the worst.

The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for most of the country.

It warned travel may be disrupted, particularly over high ground where strong wind and snow could lead to temporary blizzard conditions.

Hillhead Primary School in Glasgow was closed to pupils this morning due to a power failure in the area, thought to be weather related. It was expected to reopen this afternoon.

There was expected to be more heavy showers throughout today and a risk of thunder.

Drivers were being warned of surface water and were being advised to take care.

In South Lanarkshire, the A726 Glasgow Road in Chapelton was partially blocked between the Brechame Road junction and the Greenhills Road junction, because of an accident and flooding.

Possil Road in Glasgow, close to its junction with Garscube Road, was just passable and driving conditions were said to be hazardous.

And Bilsland Drive was closed between the A81 Maryhill Road junction and the Shannon Street junction because of flooding.

Rail passengers were earlier warned of delays due to over-running engineering works on the Paisley Gilmour Street to Wemyss Bay and Gourock lines. Shuttle buses were in place.

The problems began last night due to overhead wire problems.

A ScotRail spokesman said: "Our aim is to provide as robust a service as possible in difficult conditions.

"Replacement buses are being provided wherever possible."

In England, a lorry driver died following an accident, which involved two cars and three lorries, on the M5 in Gloucestershire. The accident was thought to be weather-related.

Road, rail and ferry journeys were disrupted during the storms as gusts of up to 70mph swept across the Central Belt and southern Scotland.

Strong winds in the city played havoc in the city, where a glass advertising sign at the New City Palace Cantonese restaurant, in Sauchiehall Street, was blown off the building.

Fortunately, nobody was injured in the incident.

ELSEWHERE, a passenger was taken to hospital after an Inverness to Wick train hit a fallen tree near Clachnaharry, just outside Inverness.

He is understood to have suffered bruising and was taken to nearby Raigmore Hospital.

The train returned to Inverness under its own power and passengers were offered alternative transport to their destination.

The Tay Road Bridge was shut while the Erskine and Forth bridges were closed to high-sided vehicles.

The A9 was shut for several hours after a seven-vehicle crash. Three cars, three lorries and a van were involved in the collision south of Dalwhinnie at around 12.50pm, Northern Constabulary said.

Police said one person was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Finance Secretary John Swinney was caught up in the crash and was unable to reach Edinburgh in time for a Cabinet meeting. Mr Swinney, whose driver was forced off the road to avoid the crash, went to the aid of travellers.

The Met Office upgraded its weather alert from yellow to amber, the second-highest level, for Central, Tayside, Fife, Strathclyde, the south-west of Scotland, Lothian and Borders, Highlands and Western Isles, warning that heavy snow was possible across parts of the country.

The Grampian area was on yellow, while southern and western Scotland were also warned of the strong winds.

A gust of 86mph was recorded in Glen Ogle yesterday, while there were 80mph winds in exposed locations.

However, forecasters said the weather is likely to improve today. Daniel Adamson, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "There will be a few more showers but it will be calming down and the winds easing.

"It will be cold but not as unsettled."

deborah.anderson@eveningtimes.co.uk

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