News / Weather causes further disruptions
SEVEN schools across Shetland were closed on Tuesday following a night of north westerly gale force winds with gusts of between 50 and 60 miles per hour.
More than 3,000 households lost their electricity for about two hours during the night when lightning struck the Gremista power station, in Lerwick, at around 3.15am.
A second power cut, this time at just before 8am, left 500 households in the north mainland without electricity. Engineers were on site at Mangaster to replace a broken electricity pole and were able to restore electricity in the afternoon by 3pm.
The high winds and wet snow was also responsible for causing delays of up to an hour at Sumburgh airport first thing on Tuesday morning.
Scatsta airport has had no fixed wing and no helicopter movements during the morning but was hopeful that operations could resume early in the afternoon. Meanwhile loading at the Sullom Voe Terminal has been suspended due to the high winds.
Roads across Shetland were all passable with care, but several vehicles slipped of the road due to the icy conditions. In the Lang Kames long queues formed during the morning as traffic was slowed down in the wintry conditions. A Leask’s bus was off the road at Shurton Brae.
Police advised drivers to take extra care and to adjust their speed to prevailing weather and road conditions.
The schools closed on Tuesday were: Aith Junior High School and the primary schools at Whiteness, Skeld, Sandness, Happyhansel, Urafirth and North Roe.
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