What a day this turned out to be with strong winds,driving rain,hailstones all thrown at us today on a run up to Glasgow.The single track road north out of carradale was blocked by fallen trees at Brackley,so a detour via Campbeltown.The run up the west side was horendous with buffeting winds and sea spray,coming to Clachan bombarded with hailstones and slippery roads.Clearing away for a while passing through Tarbert,Lochgilphead (no power in most of them places) and onwards to blizzard conditions up on the Restand Be Thankfull with a overturned AM Transport lorry which had blocked the road for most of the day.Down the Rest to be in need of a ferry as Arrochar was flooded,just got through as the Police closed the road minutes later.Now a clear run to Glasgow to be disappointed with the Erskine bridge closed and tailback traffic in the Clyde Tunnel.Got to our hotel eventually nearly 5 hours later but was well worth the effort to see Alladin at the Kings Theartre next night.
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Press Release 05 December 2013
Working together as severe weather hits Argyll
Argyll and Bute Council is working closely with partner agencies to deal with the severe weather and storms which hit Scotland overnight on Wednesday 4th December.
High winds and heavy rain across Argyll and Bute meant that a number of primary and secondary schools in the area were closed on Thursday 5th December.
Some roads were also affected by fallen trees and flooding, and council staff worked hard to clear routes as soon as possible and ensure that people can travel safely. While the bad weather continues, drivers are being urged to take care on the roads and to be prepared for delays in places.
The A83 Rest and Be Thankful trunk road was closed for a period after a lorry overturned, but was fully reopened to traffic on Thursday afternoon. Work is ongoing to reopen the A82 between Tarbet and Ardlui which has been blocked by fallen trees and a landslide.
Communities across the area have been affected by loss of power and the council is in regular contact with Scottish and Southern Energy as it works to restore supply to its customers.
Looking after vulnerable people within our communities is always a top priority and all agencies involved have been working closely together to make contact with people and ensure they are safe.
Other council services continue as normal. Regular updates about schools and roads are available on our website at www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/service-disruptions2 and also on our Twitter and Facebook pages.
Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Customer Services, Councillor Donald Kelly said: “Severe weather can cause significant issues for remote and rural communities. One of the best ways to combat this is for agencies to work closely together and respond quickly to needs that arise.
“Once again, we have joined with our community planning partners to make sure that everything possible is done to reduce the impact. Since the weather got worse on Wednesday night, everyone involved has been working very hard to clear and reopen roads, to make sure that people are safe and to ensure that people continue to receive normal council services. This hard work will continue for as long as it is needed.
“While the severe weather continues, I would encourage people to take heed of the information and advice that is available to them, especially around travel. Every effort is being made to keep people safe when they are out and about on the roads, and I would encourage motorists to drive carefully in the conditions we are experiencing at the moment.”
As well as updates on Argyll and Bute Council’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages, people can also find more information about the weather situation and how to stay safe at the following websites:
Argyll and Bute Council updates – www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/service-disruptions2 , @argyllandbute on Twitter, and Argyll and Bute Council – Weathering the Storm on Facebook
Being ready for winter weather – advice at www.readyscotland.org
Police Scotland travel warnings – www.scotland.police.uk
Updates on roads – www.trafficscotland.org
Electricity updates – www.ssepd.co.uk
Issued by Aileen McNicol
Communications Officer
Argyll and Bute Council
Tel: 01546 604103
www.argyll-bute.gov.uk
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