Edinburgh Castle among attractions to remain closed due to gale force winds
Strong winds in Edinburgh will see several attractions remain closed on Sunday, February 23.
A Met Office yellow warning for high wind is in effect until 6pm this evening with wind speeds reaching as high as 56mph.
The Edinburgh Castle website states: “The castle is closed today due to high winds. All ticket holders will be emailed and tickets will be refunded.”
It is understood the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh will likely remain closed throughout due to strong wind gusts but may open later in the day. Earlier in the week the City of Edinburgh Council confirmed Princes Street Gardens will be closed to the public on Sunday and ‘site inspections will be carried out before re-opening to ensure the site is safe’.
Gale force winds will peak between 10am and 2pm where the average wind speed is 54mph. Light rain is forecast throughout the day with a 90 per cent chance of rain between 12pm and 2pm.
Strong winds will gradually reduce between 4pm and 10pm where the average wind speed is 39mph.
Met Office chief meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: “Weather warnings have been issued to highlight the potential for travel disruption, dangerous conditions near coasts and the possibility of power cuts for some.
“Winds are expected to increase through Sunday, with many central, northern and western parts of the UK seeing gusts of up to 50-60mph at times, and perhaps as much as 70mph in exposed spots along Irish Sea coastlines, Scottish Islands, and other areas of high ground further inland. Heavy rain will accompany the strong winds, particularly in the west, making for very poor weather conditions, especially on roads.”