Storm Gertrude causing M9 congestion

Winds of over 90 miles an hour closed the bridge which will stay shut until the winds subside.

Traffic on the M9’s westbound carriageway has been slow all morning through Falkirk as more vehicles head for the Clackmannanshire and Kincardine bridges to head north.

Falkirk police have reported debris and surface water along the A803 Glasgow Road in Camelon and a fallen tree blocking the A706 Linlithgow to Bo’ness road and are advising motorists to drive carefully.

The Met Office has issued an amber Be Prepared warning for the central Scotland area.

A Met Office spokesperson described the situation as “complex” and said: “Parts of the UK will be subject to severe weather patterns with snow, wind, ice and rain.

“However, this precipitation should be lighter by the middle of the weekend.”

Other transport is also being affected with rail services between Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley severely disrupted and liable to cancellation at short notice.

Phil Verster, ScotRail Alliance managing director, said: “We will be withdrawing some services until the worst of the storm has passed.

“The safety of our passengers and workforce is our top priority and we cannot run services on these lines until our engineers have thoroughly inspected the network for any damage.”