Black skies over Kirkwall

With the remnants of hurricane Ophelia set to hit Orkney in the early hours of tomorrow, and gale force nine winds expected, the skies over the county are brooding.

According to Rousay-based weather watcher John Vetterlein, people may also have observed a yellow hue on the horizon. This, he explained, is the result of sand and other surface material in the atmosphere after being picked up by the strong winds.

He said the fallout from the hurricane would hit Orkney at around 4am, a couple of hours earlier than previously predicted, as the weather system has increased in speed.