Police warning as 'multiple' campervans blown over in Storm Floris
An amber weather warning is covering the central belt to the north coast from 10am to 10pm, with the Met Office predicting wind speeds of up to 90mph.
Reports on social media say that a campervan has been seen blown onto its side at Drum na Cloich, on the A87 on Skye – and a second near to the Old Man of Storr north of Portree.
Police have further advised all motorists not to travel on the Bealach na Ba pass – a popular tourist route on the Applecross peninsula famed for its dramatic scenery.
A spokesperson for the force said: 'We have received multiple reports of campervans being blown over on the A87 between Broadford and Portree due to high winds caused by Storm Floris.
'We are advising motorists not to travel on the Bealach na Ba road and anyone with campervans should remain parked in sheltered areas until the wind speed reduces.'
The A82 south of Fort William is facing disruption due to fallen trees, as is the A96 between Huntly and Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.
Speaking on Monday morning, Scottish Government minister Angela Constance said it is 'imperative' that people follow advice as Storm Floris hits.
Constance told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland news programme: 'Storm Floris is well and truly with us today and it's imperative that people follow advice because there will be significant disruption on our travel network.'
The minister added: 'If you have an elderly relative or neighbour who may be a wee bit vulnerable, please be a good neighbour, be friendly, just check they're alright.'
She said anyone who has to travel is likely to face disruption and should plan ahead, adding: 'Consider this a winter journey as opposed to a summer journey.
'Please make sure you've got warm clothes, food, water, plenty of fuel and that your mobile phone is charged up.'
Western coastal areas are expected to bear the brunt of the storm, although strong winds and rain will lead to disruption at Edinburgh's festivals.
On Sunday night, the Royal [[Edinburgh]] Military Tattoo said it had cancelled its Monday show due to the storm. A ceilidh event on Princes Street Gardens has also been cancelled.
Network Rail said several lines will be closed from 12pm on Monday, with all other routes experiencing a reduced timetable and longer journey times.
Ferry operator CalMac has also cancelled a number of sailings on Monday.
Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 naming season, which runs from early September to late August. January's Storm Eowyn was the most recent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Crews in Scotland ‘working tirelessly' to rectify storm damage to railway lines
Teams are 'working tirelessly' to rectify the damage to railway infrastructure brought by Storm Floris, Network Rail said. Ross Moran, rail director for Network Rail in Scotland, said storms such as Floris can have 'devastating' effects on train lines. On Tuesday, he told the PA news agency: 'The storm has caused really unprecedented challenges and damage to the railway infrastructure. 'The storm hit Scotland at around 11am on Monday. It was sustained and frequent until about 7.30pm. 'It has caused damage to overhead lines, there's been more than 100 trees, as well as sheds and trampolines, blown on to the railway infrastructure.' Mr Moran said that storms such as Floris are unusual during the summer and more common in the winter months. He added: 'What that means is we've got trees in full bloom, and therefore they're heavier and when you get wind speeds of over 100mph, the impact can be devastating to the railway infrastructure.' Mr Moran said communities in Inverness, Aberdeen and the far north of Scotland have experienced the worst disruption to railway lines, but added that clean-up crews and engineers are making 'good progress', and thanked passengers for their patience while they seek to fix any damage to the lines. He said: 'We are making good progress. At the moment there are still power issues, there are significant issues, but our engineers and track teams are out there working tirelessly, and we expect that we'll continue to make good progress, and we will be able to update passengers as the day progresses.' Mr Moran added: 'We are so grateful to the patience of passengers while we've worked through this difficult period, but do take our assurances that we're doing everything we can to get the lines back over and again as soon as possible.' Engineers are working to restore power to a total of around 22,000 properties in the north and north-east of Scotland. Work is also under way to clear trees from several railway lines which were blocked by the storm. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it had restored power to 60,000 properties since the onset of the high winds. SSEN's director of customer operations for the north of Scotland, Andy Smith, said: 'Storm Floris has been unusually powerful, especially for a storm at this time of year. 'It's brought down many trees that have endured several previous storms, and it's caused some network damage. 'Today, we've been able to inspect the network from the air and from the ground, and we now have a complete picture of the extent of the damage. 'There's a considerable ongoing task to restore all customers' supplies, but we have an 800-strong team whose priority is to make repairs as safely and quickly as they can, keep customers updated, and support those awaiting reconnection. 'I'd like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience while we go about this massive task; we're doing our best to give people realistic, informed estimates of when we'll get their power back on. 'I'm also grateful to the teams from our contract partners and other network operators for supporting our effort.' The company, which is the network operator for northern Scotland, said it had organised meal provision in some of the affected communities. ScotRail said some routes in the north are still facing disruption. On Monday night, the Scottish Government's resilience room held an emergency meeting to help decide an appropriate response to the storm, which has also led to delays in exam results being delivered to pupils in some island communities. Ministers including Angela Constance were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, Sepa and transport and utilities companies. Trunk road companies are continuing to remove fallen trees and debris from roads. With winds of up to 90mph in some parts of the country, a significant clear-up job will be required to inspect lines and carry out repair work before it is safe to restore a full service. More wet and windy weather is forecast for late on Wednesday and Thursday, but no Met Office weather warnings are in place for Tuesday. ScotRail is urging customers to check their journey via the app, website or JourneyCheck before they travel. Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: 'While the system later this week won't carry as many impacts as Storm Floris, a further period of unseasonable wet and windy weather is on the way late on Wednesday and into Thursday for those in north-western parts of the UK. 'An area of low pressure from the west will bring some strong winds, especially for those in western parts of Scotland. 'Gusts over 50mph are possible for a time. Some heavy rain will also accompany the strong winds, with up to 30mm possible.'
North Wales Live
3 hours ago
- North Wales Live
Lucky escape for drivers as falling tree closes key route in Gwynedd
A main trunk road in Gwynedd was closed when a tree fell onto a car during Storm Floris. North Wales Police (NWP) shut down the A497 near Porthmadog after getting reports of a collision. Drivers were asked to avoid the Treflys area between Porthmadog and Criccieth on Monday evening, August 4. A fallen tree had straddled the road near the railway bridge close to Wern Manor, a section of the road lined by woodland. A photo posted online showed vans and cars in close proximity, with drivers milling around and assessing the damage. The NWP Gwynedd South team warned the emergency services were in attendance but no injuries were reported. The incident occurred around 5pm when the worst of Storm Floris had blown over. However conditions remained very windy in the region, with gusts of 64mph having been recorded in Aberdaron and Capel Curig earlier in the day. Online, drivers reported seeing vehicles trying to reverse to get clear of the blockage. The road was reopened around an hour later. A NWP spokesperson said: 'At 5.08pm we received a report a tree had fallen on the A497 in Treflys, Porthmadog, which struck a car. "No injuries were reported. The road was cleared by 6.13pm.' Neither the Welsh Ambulance Service nor the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene. Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday
Edinburgh Live
4 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh graves damaged by fallen tree as capital assesses damage of Storm Floris
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Edinburgh Live breaking news on WhatsApp Storm Floris caused damage across the capital as high winds battered Edinburgh with an amber weather warning in place. Sadly a local cemetery fell victim to the chaotic weather with a fallen tree damaging two headstones in the west of the city. On Monday August 4, locals shared their concerns after a large tree could be seen lying on top of several headstones in Corstorphine Hill Cemetery. An Edinburgh Council team is understood to have travelled to the site to examine the destruction and efforts have been made to contact the impacted families. Cllr Margaret Graham, culture and communities convener said: 'Our teams are out assessing damaged caused by recent Storm Floris. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. "Unfortunately, there is one tree down in Corstorphine Hill cemetery which has damaged two headstones. "We are attempting to contact families and are hopeful we will be able to carry out repairs quickly.' Edinburgh Live reported how Storm Floris caused chaos for those across the central belt, with trains cancelled and delayed due to fierce winds. The amber weather warning was in place across Monday 4 and Tuesday August 5. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox The intense weather became so problematic that a flight arriving from London Gatwick at Edinburgh Airport had to return to the English capital after two failed landing attempts. The Forth Road bridge and Queensferry Crossing were closed to high vehicles while the Tyne Bridge in East Lothian was closed to all vehicles.
