Safety warnings are in place as Storm Amy moves across the UK, with heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 100mph in exposed areas.

An Amber weather alert, where flying debris could pose a risk to life, has been issued for large parts of Northern Ireland and the north of Scotland.

In Glasgow a derelict building collapsed in high winds, while 102mph gusts were recorded on the island of Tiree, off Scotland’s west coast.

Power cuts have been reported in the Highlands and Northern Ireland after flight and train cancellations and the closure of hundreds of schools.

About 50,000 properties have been left without power, NIE Networks have said.

All trains lines in Northern Ireland have also closed, while ScotRail said all services out of Glasgow Central have been suspended until at least 14:00 on Saturday.

Network Rail Scotland said Storm Amy – the first named storm of the season – had hit parts of the country “much harder and more quickly” than expected.

It said there were more than 60 incidents during the first two hours of the storm, with trees falling on overhead lines, flooding and debris on tracks.

In Aberdeenshire, about a dozen passengers were stranded on a train that hit a tree on the line.

The 17.43 from Inverurie to Aberdeen was operating under speed restrictions put in place ahead of the storm. No-one was injured.

A number of flights and ferry services have been cancelled, while some road bridges are either closed or have restrictions on high-sided vehicles.

In Glasgow city centre part of the Broomielaw was closed when a derelict building collapsed at about 18:00 on Friday.

A wider yellow warning for winds up to 60mph – and 70mph in exposed areas – covers all of Scotland and extends to northern England and parts of Wales until midnight on Saturday.

The Forth Road Bridge has closed to all vehicles while the Clackmannanshire Bridge, Kincardine Bridge and A1 Tyne Bridge in East Lothian are expected to be closed for high-sided vehicles.

Transport company Bear Scotland said it hoped the Queensferry Crossing across the Firth of Forth would remain open to cars thanks to its wind shielding, but it may close for high-sided vehicles.

Ross Moran, Network Rail route director for Scotland, said he expected the storm to bring “severe and substantial across the network”.

He said four railway lines were closed as a precaution – the West Highland Line, the Highland Mainline, the Wick Line and the Kyle Line – and there were speed restrictions on all Scottish routes.

“We have to put safety first and those speed restrictions mean there are likely to be some cancellations, there is likely to be some delays – so the message is check before you travel,” he said.

Transport disruption:

• The following train services are cancelled from 18:00. Mallaig – Fort William, Fort William – Crianlarich, Crianlarich – Oban, Inverness – Aberdeen, Inverness – Wick / Thurso, Inverness – Kyle of Lochalsh, Perth – Inverness.
• All services from Glasgow Central have been suspended
• Other routes may also be affected and speed restrictions will be in force from 18:00.
• Traffic at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll has been diverted on to the Old Military Road. Traffic Scotland said it was monitoring conditions.
• Delays and cancellations expected on CalMac’s west coast ferry network. It has asked passengers to check its website for updates.
• Some ferry crossings between Cairnryan and Northern Ireland have been cancelled since 12:00.
• Forth Road Bridge has closed to all vehicles, while other bridges may have restrictions on high-sided vehicles.

A number of ferry crossings between Cairnryan, in Dumfries and Galloway, and Northern Ireland were cancelled from 12:00.

Passengers are asked to check with Stena Line and P&O Ferries for updates with freight drivers encouraged to contact port authorities for more information.

Scotland’s transport secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said: “We are urging people planning to travel on trains, ferries and flights to contact their operators to find out if their service is affected.

“Motorists will face difficult driving conditions, so it’s vital people plan ahead if they have to travel to see if their route is impacted by the weather.”

Power firm SSEN said text messages had been sent to more than 180,000 of its more vulnerable customers, giving them help and advice in the event they lose power.

The United Rugby Championship (URC) fixture between Edinburgh and Ulster, which had been due to take place on Friday evening, was postponed due to the adverse conditions.

The junior and mini Great Scottish Run in Glasgow on Saturday have been cancelled due to the weather warning.

Organisers said the strong winds and rain would create a risk of debris for the Glasgow Green events, which also included a toddler dash.