Orkney weathers storm Ashley’s howling gales

Gusts of over 85mph hit Orkney last night, according to weather watchers, as storm Ashley made itself known.

The first named storm of the season brought heavy rain and wind speeds, including a reported gust of 85.6mph at Sandy Hill in South Ronaldsay recorded by local weather watchers. The top speed for Orkney shared by the Met Office, however, was of 67mph in Kirkwall.

This blustery weather followed a sudden pressure drop over the Atlantic — a phenomenon meteorologists have called a “weather bomb.”

Orkney saw a yellow weather warning issued for high wind speeds, as well as disruptions to ferry sailings and some storm damage.