Gales battered Scotland today, leaving thousands of people without power and major traffic problems.

Click here to watch video of the storm damage in Glasgow city centre.

Click here to watch video of the havoc caused around the city outskirts.

Bridges and roads were closed with gusts of up to 80mph affected through southern, western and central areas.

As the 12-hour storm took hold, numerous roads were blocked by trees, roofs were damaged, and some schools were forced to close.

Fire crews rescued a man whose car had gone into the sea and a tree branch smashed through a train driver's windscreen. Efforts by energy companies to re-connect those who suffered power cuts were initially hampered by the continuing high winds.

At the peak of the storm, around 22,000 homes across the country were without power. Scottish and Southern Energy said around 9000 customers had been affected in Argyll and 3000 in Tayside.

By lunchtime engineers had re-connected around 5000.

Scottish Power said the severe weather had affected around 10,000 of its customers.

A spokesman said 6000 still had to be re-connected.

There was severe traffic disruption after the Forth Road Bridge was closed to all traffic at 9.30am.

This led to five-mile tailbacks at the alternative crossing at the Kincardine Bridge.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority said the unusual decision to close the bridge completely had been taken because of storm damage to temporary access platforms above the carriageway.

A spokesman said: "Until we can get up there to make them secure, we have closed the bridge to all traffic, as there is a risk of falling debris."

The Erskine Bridge and Tay Road Bridge were also closed and the Friarton Bridge in Perth was shut to high-sided vehicles.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service said it had attended nearly 150 weather-related incidents since 10pm last night.

High overnight winds blew the roof off the derelict Great Eastern Hotel in Glasgow's Duke Street.

In Argyll, guests at the Galley of Lorne Inn in Ardfern had to be evacuated after the roof came off at 7am.

Students at Dundee University's Seabraes halls of residence were also evacuated when the gusts tore part of the roof off in the early hours.

British Transport Police said a train driver escaped without injury after his locomotive hit a tree which had fallen on to the track two miles north of New Cumnock in Ayrshire.

The tree branch hit the windscreen, shattering glass over the driver, who was taken to hospital as a precaution.

And fire crews had to rescue a man after his car went into the sea near the Greenock Road area of Largs last night.

In Aberdeenshire, a woman and two girls were killed in a road crash on the A92 this morning.

It is not known if the weather played a factor in the two-car accident.

In Tayside and Grampian, the A93 at Spittal of Glenshee was closed on both sides due to several feet of drifting snow.

Tayside Police said three trampolines had been blown from gardens and were found on roadways in Perthshire and Angus.