Whats going on with our weather?

SCOTLAND will be battered by a “super storm” early next week with ferocious winds of up to 80mph.

Widespread structural damage is expected, and Scots are being advised not to make unnecessary journeys.

Forecasters are warning that storms hitting across the UK could be the worst since October 1987. Although parts of Northern Ireland and the south west of England should bear the brunt of the extreme weather, Scotland will be badly affected.

The Met Office warned that the UK would suffer very strong, potentially damaging winds, with the Strathclyde area facing severe gales.

Tom Tobler, forecaster with Meteogroup UK, added: “The west of Scotland will not be at the centre of the storm but that doesn’t mean you’ll escape it.

“From around dawn on Monday there will be extremely heavy gusts of wind. They could get up to 80mph. By lunchtime it’ll start to move across Northern Ireland.”

Calmer conditions should return to Scotland by Monday lunchtime as gale force winds continue to tear through other parts of Britain.

Meteogroup’s Gareth Harvey said: “It looks as though it is going to be strong winds just about everywhere with severe gales in some places.

“We are sure trees will be uprooted and there will be some structural damage if it’s as strong as expected.”

Exposed areas in the west and near the south coast have been warned to expect winds up to 80mph.

Expected to ease off during the afternoon, the high winds will return with a vengeance in the evening, when fierce gusts will hit the south west of England and Wales.

The storm is forecast to develop out of a strong jet stream which will be moving out of Canada on Saturday and crossing the Atlantic and the UK during Sunday and Monday.

Independent weather forecaster Tom Defty said: “The exact track of the storm is unlikely to be known until Sunday and the public should keep a close eye on the forecasts as severe damage is a possibility in many areas.”