This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-16327598
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
Winds of up to 101mph recorded in the Northern Isles | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Wind speeds of up to 101mph have been recorded in the Shetlands, after the Met Office issued a severe wind warning for the far north of Scotland. | |
Forecasters issued an amber "be prepared" alert for Christmas Day, lasting until the night, for northern Scotland and the Northern Isles. | |
Overall, Christmas Day in the UK has been the third mildest on record. | |
A high of 14.3C (57.7F) was recorded in County Down - the mildest Christmas Day on record for Northern Ireland. | |
The temperature was recorded in Murlough, where the previous record was 13C - most recently recorded in 1988. | |
Unseasonably mild | |
Elsewhere, the weather has been mild with quite a lot of cloud, wind, damp and drizzle. | |
It is a sharp contrast from last year, when much of the country saw snow. | |
"Southwesterly winds brought unseasonably mild weather to the UK, with Northern Ireland reporting its mildest Christmas on record," said Holly Green, BBC weather forecaster. | |
"The UK as a whole saw its third mildest on record, only beaten by 1896 and 1920." | |
In those years, the mercury hit 15.6C (60F). | |
This year's lowest Christmas Day temperature - 9C (48F) - was recorded in Carterhouse in the Scottish borders. And the highest - 15.1C (59.1F) - in Aberdeen. | |
'Notoriously unpredictable' | |
The Met Office warned transport and power could be hit in the far north of Scotland, and structural damage was possible. | |
Gusts of 101mph were recorded at Sella Ness in Shetland - the highest winds at a low-level site, say forecasters - while the Cairngorms also saw winds in excess of 100mph. | |
Police urged drivers in the central Scotland area to take care on the roads, due to high winds. | |
Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown said the government's resilience team was monitoring the situation, adding: "Scotland's weather is notoriously unpredictable. | Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown said the government's resilience team was monitoring the situation, adding: "Scotland's weather is notoriously unpredictable. |
"Our resilience planning this year has been designed to deal with unexpected events - such as today's high winds - as well as those which can be foreseen. | "Our resilience planning this year has been designed to deal with unexpected events - such as today's high winds - as well as those which can be foreseen. |
"The power companies are also prepared to deal with any power cuts." | "The power companies are also prepared to deal with any power cuts." |
Mr Brown asked the public to listen to weather warnings. | Mr Brown asked the public to listen to weather warnings. |
"Everyone should take sensible precautions, particularly if they are travelling, to ensure that they have a safe and happy Christmas," he said. | "Everyone should take sensible precautions, particularly if they are travelling, to ensure that they have a safe and happy Christmas," he said. |