Strong winds have brought travel disruption to parts of Scotland with fallen trees affecting rail and roads.

After a prolonged period of good weather the whole country is covered by a yellow warning with Storm Hector bringing gusts of up to 70mph until 3pm on Thursday.

ScotRail said “chainsaw gangs” and overhead line teams had been deployed across the rail network to remove fallen trees and branches that have been causing delays and cancellations to services.

Areas affected include Stirling, Partick, Ayrshire and North Lanarkshire.

The transport minister, Humza Yousaf, said Western and Northern Isles ferries had also been affected by wind.

He tweeted: “As predicted a fair bit of travel disruption due to high winds as Storm Hector makes his presence felt – particularly on ferries & rail.”

Great Western Road in Glasgow was closed for a time owing to a fallen tree. Erskine Bridge and Clydeside Expressway were also affected, while Pollokshaws Road was reduced to one lane owing concerns about an unsafe building in the strong winds.

The Forth Road Bridge was closed to doubledecker buses and only cars were being allowed to cross the Tay Bridge.

Aidan McGivern, a Met Office meteorologist, said: “Scotland and northern England will see that swath of strong winds move eastwards through the day.

“The wettest weather will be out of the way but there will be some blustery showers following and with the yellow warning in force disruption is possible.

“Further spells of rain will push their way into Scotland through the night before clearer skies open out by the start of Friday.”

The Met Office said injuries and danger to life was likely in coastal areas in Northern Ireland, where there is a chance of large waves and potential for beach debris to end up on roads, seafronts and properties.

Southern England and Wales were likely to escape the worst of the windy weather, it said.