Storm Floris: Yellow wind warning for Northern Ireland
A degree of uncertainty remains around the exact track of the storm, with further updates expected over the weekend.The storm is also expected to bring a spell of heavy and persistent rain, mainly through the first half of Monday before clearing.Storm Floris is the first storm to hit Ireland and the UK since Storm Éowyn in January.That storm sparked a rare red warning for Northern Ireland, and the first red warning for the whole island of Ireland.
Ahead of the storm, Newry, Mourne and Down council has decided to close the district's forests, country parks, and community trails on Monday. Among the green spaces affected include Castlewellan, Delamont, Kilbroney, Slieve Gullion and Warrenpoint Municipal Park.All associated facilities, including cafes, caravan parks, and mountain bike trails, will also be closed.The council is also advising the public not to visit play parks, outdoor sports facilities, beaches, harbours, nature reserves and coastal sites on Monday.Castlewellan Forest Park will close on Sunday and campers will be asked to leave by 18:00 BST to allow staff to lock the park securely. The closure includes the campsite in the main park and Drumbuck Wood.Silent Valley Mountain Park will also be closed on Monday due to the expected adverse conditions, Northern Ireland Water has said.Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has warned there will be disruption to council services and facilities on Monday due to the storm including parks, open spaces, golf courses, caravan parks and household recycling centres.The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has also advised the public not to visit affected forests and parks on Monday and Tuesday until the high winds subside.
The Republic of Ireland is also set to feel the force of Floris on Monday, which is a bank holiday in the country.Although northern areas are expected to get the strongest winds, gusts of up to 50mph (80km/h) are expected quite widely.Met Éireann forecaster Andrew Doran-Sherlock said: "As this is a Public Holiday Weekend with a large number of outdoor events and with many people going camping, etc, and with an increased usage of temporary structures such as tents, more people will be at a greater risk of exposure than would normally be the case."He added: "Our advice would be to pay attention to the weather forecasts and warnings issued over the weekend and take them into consideration with any plans you have. "And as always, please heed the advice of local authorities."
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The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Storm Floris live: Rail disruption likely to continue for another day after 90mph winds hit UK
Rail disruption is set to continue into Tuesday after Storm Floris battered the UK with 90mph winds on Monday, causing trains cancellations and mass power cuts. Trains, flights, and ferries were cancelled on Monday amid danger to life warnings from the Met Office. Network Rail warned that travel disruption will continue into Tuesday following 'severe' impacts on Scotland 's railways - with ScotRail saying there has been 'extensive damage' on its routes. Amber and yellow wind warnings across much of Scotland, northern England, northern Ireland and northern Wales were due to be lifted by 12am, when a yellow wind warning will come into force in Orkney until 8am. On Monday, more than 43,000 properties were left without electricity in the Highlands and north-east of Scotland this afternoon, operators said. Network Rail Scotland has posted maps showing wind speeds in excess of 90mph, while the Met Office has recorded highs of 82mph. Events such as the Edinburgh Fringe are monitoring the situation, but a military parade has been cancelled. An Oasis concert in the Scottish capital is still scheduled to go ahead. Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024/25 season. Storm damage is 'extensive', says ScotRail Damage by Storm Floris on railways in Scotland is 'extensive', ScotRail has said. Work will soon begin to recover a number of routes which have been put out of action. 'The damage caused by the storm has been extensive, including trees falling onto overhead wires and tracks,' ScotRail said on X. 'Network Rail will soon begin work to recover the railway, as a number of routes will need to be inspected once the storm has passed and then repair work carried out. 'While some checks will be carried out later tonight, further inspections will be needed during daylight hours, which will cause disruption to services on some routes on Tuesday morning.' Alex Croft5 August 2025 05:01 EasyJet 900-mile 'flight to nowhere' as pilots abandon landing at Inverness Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has reported that a pilot was forced to abandon a landing in Scotland. An easyJet flight from Luton to Inverness flew 900 miles on an 'flight to nowhere'. Flight 632 took off from the Bedfordshire airport just before 12 noon and flew normally at 36,000 feet to the Scottish airport. But at just 2,000 feet above the ground, the pilots of the Airbus A319 decided to abandon the landing, and flew back to Luton. After a total of 2 hours and 25 minutes in the air, the plane touched down back at its starting place. Passengers were told: 'Strong winds in Inverness are preventing aircraft from arriving and departing. The safety of you and our crew is our highest priority and we thank you for your understanding.' Under air passengers' rights rules, travellers must be flown to their destination as soon as possible on any airline. The aviation data analyst, Cirium, has confirmed research by The Independent that Belfast City and Aberdeen are the airports worst affected by Storm Floris. At Belfast City, 10 departures and 11 arrivals have been grounded. At Aberdeen, 12 departures have been cancelled – but only six arrivals are axed. Alex Croft5 August 2025 04:01 In pictures: Heavy winds wreak havoc in Edinburgh Alex Croft5 August 2025 03:02 Campervans have been blown over on A87 road on Isle of Skye A number of campervans earlier blew over on the A87 road, which leads to Portree on the Isle of Skye, as Storm Floris hit Scotland. Police are advising drivers to stay away from the Bealach na Ba road in Wester Ross due to the high rinds. Police Scotland 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.' Alex Croft5 August 2025 01:29 Travellers face 'nine cancellations' Passengers stuck at Glasgow Central train station are facing hours of disruption and as many as nine cancellations, they told the PA news agency. Robert Kusz, 70, and Paul Audoire, 59, had enjoyed a caravan holiday with relatives when they were delayed at Glasgow Central. Their previous plan was to travel to Preston and change to Blackpool. Mr Kusz told the PA news agency: 'There has been about nine cancellations. 'If we can get connecting trains we could get to Blackpool by 4.30pm. 'It will add a couple of hours to the journey, maybe two-and-a-half hours.' Mr Audoire said: 'The weather is not as bad as we thought, they are just taking precautions. 'We need to get off at Carlisle, wait for another train, get off at Preston and change trains again. 'I don't know how long we need to wait at Carlisle or at Preston. It's just a case of leapfrogging all the way.' Alex Croft5 August 2025 00:01 Mapped: Rain largely clears from UK on Tuesday as Storm Floris moves east Alex Croft4 August 2025 23:14 Met Office records top wind speed of 82mph Alex Croft4 August 2025 22:27 More than 43,000 homes without power in Scotland More than 43,000 homes in Scotland were out of supply as of earlier this evening, according to the lates update from Scottish & Southern Electricity Network (SSEN). At around 7pm, 9,000 homes had been reconnected. Alex Croft4 August 2025 22:17 Students will see exam results delayed due to storm There will be delays to the delivery of some exam results in island communities as a result of Storm Floris, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has said. With results due on Tuesday, the SQA said deliveries to the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland will be delayed due to the adverse weather. The SQA said students should contact their school or college in the first instance who should be able to help them. Alex Croft4 August 2025 22:06 Mapped: Yellow wind warning to come into force on Tuesday The only remaining weather warning due to Storm Floris is a yellow wind warning in Orkney, which will be in place from 12am to 8am on Tuesday. 'Very strong northwesterly winds, including gusts of 50 to 70 mph, in the wake of Storm Floris will ease across Orkney early on Tuesday and then slowly wane a little over Shetland during Tuesday morning,' the Met Office said. It warns of potential travel delays and power losses in the affected region.
The Guardian
16 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Storm Floris: Scottish government holds emergency meeting amid warnings of more UK travel disruption
The Scottish government has held emergency meetings in response to the 'significant disruption' caused by Storm Floris across the country, with warnings of further travel chaos on Tuesday as poor weather continues. On Monday night, the Scottish government's Resilience Room held a meeting to help decide an appropriate response to the storm, which has included power outages and almost 120 rail incidents. Representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland and transport and utilities companies were in attendance. The Scottish government said there have been 119 incidents on the rail network caused by Storm Floris, including 75 tree-related ones. With winds of up to 90mph in some parts of the country, a significant clear-up job will be required to inspect train lines and carry out repair work before it is safe to restore a full service, with more wet and windy weather forecast for late on Wednesday and Thursday. ScotRail is urging customers to check their journey via the app, website or JourneyCheck before they travel on Tuesday. During the meeting, ministers heard that utilities companies are working to reconnect properties experiencing power outages, while trunk road companies are continuing to remove fallen trees and debris from damaged infrastructure from roads. After the meeting, justice and home affairs secretary Angela Constance said: 'As expected, there has been significant disruption, particularly across the travel networks.' 'We are still in an amber warning, and the advice remains to stay well informed, keep yourselves and others safe and avoid travel if you can, until the danger has passed. 'The weather is expected to improve tomorrow, but the recovery period – both to reconnect homes to power and get transport back to normal – will require some time to clear the debris.' Network Rail said it has 'worked closely with all train operators' to coordinate the railway's response to the storm, adding 'we've been working around the clock to keep services moving today. Network Rail previously said it is working 'tirelessly' to clear routes blocked by falling trees and debris, and that disruption was likely to continue into Tuesday. Rail, road and ferry travel were disrupted and festival events cancelled as Storm Floris swept across Scotland, bringing with it heavy rain and strong gusts. Disruption on the railways has left passengers facing multiple cancellations, while a number of roads around the country have been blocked. Met Office data showed a gust of 134mph was recorded at the summit of Cairn Gorm in the Highlands on Monday, 1,245 metres above sea level. The strongest gust away from mountains was 80mph at South Uist. Rail travel was severely disrupted, with LNER telling passengers not to travel north of Newcastle. Avanti West Coast advised people not to travel north of Preston. The Forth Bridge was closed to doubledecker buses, motorcyclists and pedestrians and many other bridges were closed to high-sided vehicles. In Newcastle, the Tyne Bridge was closed to all traffic because of the wind. Police previously said they had received 'multiple reports' of campervans being blown over on the A87 between Broadford and Portree on Skye, while in Aberdeenshire the A96 is closed in both directions near Old Rayne because of several fallen trees. Monday's performance of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo was cancelled, the first time in its 75-year history that it had not gone ahead because of the weather. A swathe of Edinburgh festival fringe events were also cancelled. 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 northwestern parts of the UK.
South Wales Argus
19 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Disruption continues as clean-up begins after Storm Floris
ScotRail said suspended routes would need to be checked before they could be reopened with disruption expected until around 4pm on Tuesday. Caledonian Sleeper Services were cancelled on Monday night while LNER said services north of Newcastle could be delayed or cancelled on Tuesday and TransPennine Express said no services will run north of Carlisle or Newcastle before 9am. They advised customers not to travel before then with rail operators advising passengers to check on services before travelling. The Scottish Government said there were 119 incidents on the rail network caused by Storm Floris on Monday, including 75 tree-related ones, and Network Rail said it is working 'tirelessly' to clear routes blocked by falling trees and debris. CalMac Ferries, which operates services on Scotland's west coast, faced disruption on Tuesday while on the roads, Traffic Scotland said the Tyne Bridge and Forth Road Bridge had reopened overnight. Further south, the A66 in Durham and Cumbria was closed to high-sided vehicles for several hours overnight between Scotch Corner and the M6 at Penrith due to high winds. The Scottish Government's Resilience Room held a meeting on Monday night to help decide an appropriate response to the storm, which has led to power outages and delays in exam results being delivered to pupils. The meeting was attended by justice and home affairs secretary Angela Constance, transport secretary Fiona Hyslop, cabinet secretary for health and social care Neil Gray and climate action and energy secretary Gillian Martin, alongside representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, SEPA, transport and utilities companies and further resilience partners. Here are the top wind gusts we have recorded so far today in association with Storm Floris Scotland has provisionally equalled it's August record of 82mph at Wick Airport — Met Office (@metoffice) August 4, 2025 Ms Constance said: 'As expected, there has been significant disruption, particularly across the travel networks. 'Power cuts are affecting a significant number of properties, and while utilities companies are working hard to reconnect supply in the face of challenging conditions, this will undoubtedly take some time to complete. 'The recovery period – both to reconnect homes to power and get transport back to normal – will require some time to clear the debris. 'We will continue to receive updates throughout Tuesday.' Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said Storm Floris had been 'the most-damaging summer storm in recent memory' with the BBC reporting around 43,500 properties were without power on Monday night. Director of customer operations for the north of Scotland Andy Smith said: 'At the height of summer, we've mounted an operation that's comparable in size to the ones we mobilise when a storm hits during the depths of winter, but the sustained nature of these damaging winds means some affected customers may be without power overnight.' The Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire were the worst hit areas and SSEN said it was providing free hot food and drinks on Tuesday in several areas where homes remained without power. Workers cut up a tree which was felled by the wind on Plessey Road in Blyth, Northumberland (Owen Humphreys/PA) A yellow warning for wind remained in place for the Orkney and Shetland Islands until 8am on Tuesday and while conditions are expected to improve, more wet and windy weather is likely to return to the north west of the UK late on Wednesday and into Thursday. 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 northwestern 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.' A gust of 82mph at Wick airport on Monday provisionally equalled the highest August gust in Scotland with speeds in excess of 70mph records in various parts of the country. Cassley in the north of Scotland recorded 58.4mm of rain on Monday. Northern Ireland also provisionally equalled a record for August with gusts of 66mph at Orlock Head The south of the UK is expected to see less rain on Thursday, although it will remain unsettled. Changeable conditions will continue in the north and northwest into the weekend.
