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Violent storm blasts the Western Isles                  8/12/11

Hurricane-strength winds battering the Western Isles resulted in thousands of people being sent home early from work and schools.

The Eriskay causeway was closed to traffic after the tail end of the violent storm passed over the islands.  Coastguards assisted police in manning both ends of the exposed roadway. Even after it reopened, islanders were urged not to travel in that area.

People were warned to stay indoors and batten down the hatches.

The Bayhead River in Stornoway burst its banks resulting in heavy flooding around Stornoway Golf Club.

A mile up the road, a blown tree crashed over the Willowglen Road forcing rush hour traffic to divert around Newvalley.  Another fallen tree blocked the entrance to a housing scheme in Back, Lewis.

Western Isles Council did not act on Scottish Government’s late night recommendation to close all schools which resulted in a mass lunchtime mobilisation of buses when the approaching severe weather forced it to send many hundreds of children home in Lewis and Harris.

However, head teachers in Uist and Barra - where the fury of the storm was at its worst -  used their own initiative and did not open their schools in the morning.

All council offices were closed by 4pm as were council depots, sport centres, libraries and museums creating a wave of people rushing around shops and supermarkets to stock up before heading home.

NHS Western Isles was providing a minimum out of hours service allowing for weather conditions. This will be for essential and urgent clinical conditions only.

Ferries and afternoon flights were cancelled. No mail left the islands last night. Buses stopped running before tea-time.  

Western Isles Council asked family, neighbours and friends living nearby to check in on elderly and vulnerable people.

Thousands of people were left without electricity as waves of power cuts affected the islands. Before the storm developed, a breakdown on the mainland side of the subsea cable affected Lewis and Harris.

Tonight, villages in South Harris, Shawbost, Sandwick, Holm, Point and Callanish  were in the dark as 80mph winds brought down overhead lines. Hydro engineers are working overnight to restore supplies.  

Big deep-sea trawlers and cargo vessels scurried for shelter off the east side of Lewis.

A panto performance in Stornoway was axed while numerous mid-week church services, youth clubs, and music classes were also cancelled.