Stornoway Coastguard rescues crew from a trawler off St Kilda as severe force 9 winds hit UK waters
Stornoway Coastguard have rescued crew from a trawler off St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides as severe force 9 winds hit UK waters.
The Spinningdale ran aground at 05.30 and crew have been airlifted to safety, as they were unable to evacuate to a liferaft due to severe weather.
Gale warnings are in force around the UK coastline and the Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for the north (including Scotland), the north west and much of the east coast over the next 24 hours. Parts of north west Scotland have seen gusts of up to 70mph and although conditions should calm down by tomorrow, things will pick up again by Sunday and much of next week will be unsettled. Dave Britton of the Met Office said, “Take note of the weather conditions and make sure you are able to cope with them before setting out”.
A spokesperson for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said, “We’d advise boaters to only travel if necessary and to let someone know where you are going and what is your expected time of arrival”.
If you must travel, check with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency or refer to the shipping forecast for your area.
