Train services were seriously disrupted this morning as a massive clear- up operation began following the battering by 100mph winds.

Parts of Glasgow and at sites across the West of Scotland homes and buildings have been destroyed or damaged, with the repair bill estimated to run into millions of pounds.

In Glasgow, the roof of a block of flats was ripped from the building in Broadholm Street, Possilpark, and blown 200 yards into two blocks of houses in Crowhill Street, which remained sealed off today.

Robert Marshall, 73, who lives in the flats with his wife, said: "The wind was making an awful noise and then we heard a big bang.

"I got up and looked out the window and the top of the building was blowing off. It was a big shock. The police and the fire brigade were out right away and the street was cordoned off."

Michelle Donkin and her husband were forced to flee their Crookston home as wind tore off the gable end.

Mrs Donkin said: "When the wall collapsed about 7am, it sounded like an explosion. The whole house was shaking.

"We ran to the door, and our neighbour across the road shouting at us to get out – they could see the damage.

"You can see right into the loft from the outside. It's just been a nightmare."

In Partick, 38-year-old Lucy Janes reported that the chimney of her Thornwood Avenue home had blown off on to a parked car. She said: "At about 8am I heard a loud thump and when I looked out the front I saw that the chimney had blown off.

"It was a bit of a shock and my neighbour was out in the street when it happened and she called the police. She had a lucky escape. We still don't know whose car it is but we're just thankful that nobody was seriously injured."

Motorists were faced with fallen trees in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, while flooding closed route in Dunbartonshire. Strathclyde Fire and Rescue received 572 calls between midnight and 1pm and attended 488 incidents.

A spokesman said most of the calls were about fallen trees and damaged buildings.

They also said there were reports of flying bus shelters and garden sheds.

IN Argyll and Bute, five people were injured and airlifted to hospital when high winds overturned caravans at a caravan park.

Energy companies worked late into the night to restore electricity to homes but today, thousands remained without power.

ScottishPower said around 15,000 homes were still affected this morning with parts of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire worst hit, but 80,000 customers had been reconnected. Power firm SSE said more than 400 engineers worked late into the night to restore supplies after around 40,000 of its customers were affected, with 1000 still waiting to be reconnected this morning.

Winds built up from 6am yesterday, reaching a peak of 91mph in Glasgow with gusts of 102mph recorded at Blackford Hill in Edinburgh.

More heavy rain is forecast for today, with some heavy downpours in the west which could lead to flooding.

The severe weather forced the closure of the country's main road and rail bridges for a time, saw dozens of flights cancelled and train and ferry services suspended.

While conditions have improved on the roads, rail staff worked overnight to clear trees and other debris from tracks after train services were brought to a standstill yesterday.

Today reduced services were in place.

ScotRail said there would be no Glasgow Central to Gourock or Glasgow Central to Wemyss Bay services until later this afternoon, and Glasgow Central to Ayr train services were not likely to start until 10am.

Dalmuir to Larkhall services were being cancelled all day and there was also disruption on the Milngavie to Motherwell /Lanark line.

In Glasgow's South Side Crossmyloof station sustained damage and trains from Glasgow Central to East Kilbride and Barrhead will not call at Crossmyloof.

EAST Coast has confirmed that it is planning to run a normal service today.

CalMac said the Arran ferry service would be diverting to Gourock due to storm damage at Ardrossan.

The first sailing to Brodick was expected to be around 10am.

There was no reports of serious injuries in Scotland but in England two men died.

A man in his 50s was crushed by a falling tree as he sat in the driver's seat of a parked van in Kent and a member of crew on a tanker was killed after the vessel was hit by a large wave off the coast of the south Devon/Cornwall border.

Last night, the 10-lane Kingston Bridge in the heart of Glasgow, the Erskine Bridge, the Tay Road Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge had all reopened after being forced to close.

Glasgow airport had at least 35 cancelled flights yesterday, but today the airport was operating as normal.

Meanwhile, 15 people were rescued from a boat that was blown away as it was being repaired in a shipyard.

Clyde Coastguard said the fishing boat was at the Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow in Inverclyde.

It came loose and drifted away with the crewmen and workers onboard. A coastguard spokesman said it was later anchored securely and no-one was injured.

The Scottish Government said First Minister Alex Salmond chaired a second meeting of its Resilience Committee to address the impact of the weather.

deborah.anderson@ eveningtimes.co.uk