ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)<br/> Severe storms and high winds caused widespread disruption to parts of Scotland on Thursday (December 8), leaving thousands without power, causing roads and schools to close and hitting air travel.<br/> The Met office issued a red alert warning, after winds of up to 150 mph (241 kph) were recorded on Thursday.<br/> Scottish Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said all parts of country were experiencing very heavy winds with the central belt and southern Scotland facing particularly severe weather conditions.<br/> Schools were either closed to pupils all day or were forced to close early.<br/> "Think we'll stay in and maybe watch some Christmas movies, or do some decorations," said one mother picking up her children after their school had closed early.<br/> Some fallen trees caused minor accidents.<br/> "I came outside and I had just seen the trees started falling, and I just see my dad basically lying underneath it," a man said.<br/> Edinburgh and Glasgow airports said a number of flights had been cancelled or delayed due to high winds.<br/> Widespread travel restrictions have been put in place and police told people to avoid driving on the roads across central Scotland from midday until early evening.<br/> The Met office said there was a possibility of snow later in the evening, but that winds were expected to die down after the red alert warning elapsed at 9 p.m.<br/> Windspeeds recorded on Thursday were not far off the highest windspeed recorded in Scotland at 173mph on 20 March 1986 at Cairngorm point.
