Storm Boelo has begun battering Scotland with wind gusts of 75mph already recorded as the country braces for the worst of the weather overnight.
The Met Office recorded a maximum gust of 75mph at South Uist in the Outer Hebrides on Saturday, while winds reached 71mph at Inverbervie in Aberdeenshire.
Conditions are expected to deteriorate further on Saturday night as an amber warning for wind covering almost the whole of mainland Scotland and the Western Isles comes into force at 9pm.
Forecasters expect gusts of 60mph to 70mph widely, with speeds of around 80mph possible in exposed coastal locations.
The amber warning will remain in place until 9pm on Sunday, with the Met Office warning of the risk of flying debris, damage to buildings, power cuts and widespread travel disruption.
Heavy rain is adding to the problems, with 43mm recorded at Inveruglas on the western shore of Loch Lomond during Saturday.
Travel disruption was already being reported. An easyJet flight from London Gatwick reached Aberdeen on Saturday afternoon but was unable to land at Aberdeen International Airport because of the conditions.
The aircraft abandoned its attempted landing and was diverted to Manchester, leaving passengers facing further disruption.
Scotland’s ferry network has also been badly affected. Fourteen of CalMac’s 30 services were cancelled on Saturday, with other routes facing disruption and further cancellations possible as conditions worsen.
Rail services are being withdrawn on some of the routes considered most exposed to the storm.
Services south and west of Kilwinning were due to stop from 9pm, while the Oban and Mallaig routes were expected to close from around 10pm.
Other parts of the network will operate with speed restrictions, increasing the likelihood of delays and cancellations through Sunday.
Police Scotland has urged people to consider whether journeys are necessary during the amber warning period.
Superintendent Andy Barclay, deputy head of Road Policing, said there was a “high risk of disruption” and warned that conditions on the road network could become hazardous.
Storm Boelo has also forced the cancellation of events and the closure of some of Scotland’s best-known visitor attractions.
Edinburgh Castle will be closed on Sunday, while Historic Environment Scotland has announced weather-related closures at a series of sites including Stirling Castle, St Andrews Castle, St Andrews Cathedral, Blackness Castle and Arbroath Abbey.
Paisley’s Halloween Festival was cancelled on Saturday, while the Enchanted Forest at Pitlochry was also called off.
The Scottish Government has activated its Resilience Room to coordinate preparations and monitor the impact of the storm.
Flooding is another concern after days of unsettled weather.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said coastal flooding impacts are likely in western and northern Scotland from Saturday evening and through Sunday, while heavy rain could also cause river and surface-water flooding in northern areas.
Localised flooding of roads and land, disruption to travel and flooding affecting individual properties are all possible.
Storm Boelo is the second named storm to affect the UK in two days, following Storm Austen, which brought strong winds and heavy rain on Friday.
The strongest winds from Boelo are expected to spread from western Scotland eastwards overnight before very windy conditions continue through much of Sunday.