The storm which affected much of Scotland and Northern Ireland was probably the worst in the last 10 years. Winds in excess of 200 kph caused widespread damage and disrupted power supplies to many thousands of homes.

Yet whilst even wind turbines were destroyed by the exceptionally strong winds, timely warnings from the UK Met Office and the emergency authorities helped ensure that there were no reports of fatalities.

Scotland is, of course, no stranger to deep depressions during the winter months. What was unusual about this storm, with a central pressure of 956 millibars, was that it affected such a huge swathe of the country, including the Central Lowlands.

Storm force winds hit the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh whilst in the highlands and islands, hurricane force winds were experienced. The automatic weather station on the top of Cairngorm recorded a gust of 264 kph and winds on the island of Tiree, in the Hebrides, reached 230 kph.

The forecast charts for the rest of this week also show unusually deep depressions heading towards the UK. There is the possibility of further storm force winds on both Tuesday and Thursday, extending further south, to also affect England and Wales.