It is feared extreme winds and possible blizzard conditions will cause power cuts, falling trees and transport disruption as it continues to sweep through the country.

The trouble started yesterday evening, (Thursday) with 50mph and 80mph winds sweeping through the west of Scotland.

The rest of the country is covered by a Yellow 'Be Alert' warning, although winds should quickly ease today, before picking up on Saturday morning.

Responder authorities in the areas expected to be affected are activating their plans to deal with the potential impacts.

Commenting on the storm battering Renfrewshire, local MP Douglas Alexander said: "With wind and rain battering Renfrewshire I'd urge all local people to take extra care when out and about.

"While winds are expected to die down during Friday, they are forecast to pick up again overnight and into Saturday so it's important we all stay alert.

"I'd like to thank council staff and the police for working through these awful weather conditions to keep us safe.

"Traveline Scotland has useful information to keep uptodate with the latest situation on the roads.

"I'm keeping in close contact with local authorities about the impact of the storm as I know how vital it is that any problems are dealt with quickly."

There is expected to be disruption on the transport network and a Multi-Agency Response Team (MART), involving partner organisations, such as Police Scotland, is being activated to monitor conditions and make sure that the public has the latest information.

Utility suppliers are increasing staff resources and putting back-up resources in place to deal with potential disruption to power supplies.

Deputy First Minister, John Swinney said: “The weather fronts will bring particularly strong winds across the north-west of Scotland, the islands and across the central belt overnight and when people are making their way to work in the morning.

“The Scottish Government’s Resilience operation is actively monitoring weather developments and receiving updates from the Met Office, SEPA and the utilities companies, as well as keeping in touch with emergency responders and councils at a local level in the areas likely to be affected by adverse weather “Contingency plans are being made by transport authorities and passengers should expect cancelations and disruption on ferries and the railways. The travel operators websites will have all of the latest information and people should check them before they set-off on their journey.

“On the roads, bridges could be affected by high winds, and driving conditions could be challenging, particularly for high-sided vehicles. Motorists should allow extra time for their journeys and check the Traffic Scotland website before they set-out.

“Utility companies are increasing resources and moving them to places where the storm is likely to damage the electricity network.

“The Scottish Government’s annual campaign, Ready for Winter, is a good reminder of the simple actions we can all take to prepare for adverse conditions. Information is available at Readyscotland.org” SEPA Hydrology Duty Manager David Faichney also commented: "We are currently in the process of preparing flood alerts and warnings for areas where there is a potential for impacts. We remain in contact with our partners through the Flood Forecast Service and will ensure detailed flood forecasts are available to responders.

"As always we would encourage the public to be mindful of the weather forecast and remain vigilant to the risk of flooding in their area by checking the active flood updates on our website at www.sepa.org.uk/flooding or by signing up to Floodline on 0345 988 1188."