Up to 70,000 homes without power as storms hit Britain

LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Up to 70,000 homes have been left without power in Scotland and trains cancelled after high winds battered the northern parts of Britain on Friday.

Britain's Met Office issued severe weather warnings for the areas after two Atlantic storms hit the country resulting in gusts of around 100 miles per hour.

Scotland's train operator ScotRail, run by FirstGroup , cancelled all services until further notice citing safety concerns, while the Forth Road Bridge near Edinburgh was closed temporarily.

The storms will be followed by ice and snow with temperatures set to plunge on Saturday, and no end in sight to the unsettled weather patterns.

"Further unsettled weather is expected after this, with winds expected to strengthen in the north once again later on Sunday and into Monday morning," the Met Office said.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)