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Storm Floris: Crowds brave high winds as Storm Floris hits Edinburgh Fringe

Storm Floris: Crowds brave high winds as Storm Floris hits Edinburgh Fringe

Scotsmana day ago
With winds as high as 90 mph anticipated, a number of popular tourist attractions have been closed or cancelled - including the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Monday's performance was cancelled late on Sunday evening ahead of the adverse weather conditions.
Transport services across the city faced disruption, with ScotRail cancelling trains after noon on Monday.
ScotRail said: 'Due to these adverse weather conditions, blanket 50mph speed restrictions will be implemented from Network Rail across all our routes. This will mean that significantly fewer than normal services will run today (Monday, 4 August), some lines will be closed all day, and on some routes the last services will be around lunch time.'
The high winds did not dampen the spirits of performers and attendees of the Edinburgh Fringe, with many taking to the streets despite the weather.
Police Scotland had warned against all but necessary travel. A statement said: 'There is a high risk of disruption and travel conditions may be hazardous. Extra caution should be taken by all road users. Plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel. Consider delaying travel until conditions improve. If you are travelling on the roads, prepare yourself and your vehicle for the conditions.'
The Met Office had warned that winds could reach 90 mph in some areas of Scotland, with an upgraded Amber warning issued on Monday.
The Met Office said: ''Storm Floris will bring a spell of unusually windy weather for the time of year across the northern half of the UK on Monday. The highest winds are expected across Scotland between late morning and early evening. In some areas high winds will be accompanied by heavy rain. Wind will then slowly start to ease from the west later.'
It added: 'Gusts of 50 to 70 mph are expected for many parts, and are likely to reach 80 to 90 mph on some exposed coasts, hills and bridges. 'Western coastal areas will see the highest gusts between late morning and early afternoon, the strongest winds then transferring to northeastern Scotland by late afternoon/early evening.'
1 . Storm Floris Edinburgh
High winds have battered the capital this morning. | Jane Barlow/PA Photo Sales
2 . Storm Floris Edinburgh
Tourists were turned away from Edinburgh Castle due to the weather | Jane Barlow/PA Photo Sales
3 . Storm Floris Edinburgh
Trains from Edinburgh Waverley were cancelled | Jane Barlow/PA Photo Sales
4 . Storm Floris Edinburgh
High winds left many tourists disappointed | Jane Barlow/PA Photo Sales
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Network Rail said storms can have 'devastating' effects on train 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". ‌ He 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." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. ‌ 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 50,000 properties since the onset of the high winds. ‌ The company said: "Now the winds have died down and moved into the North Sea, it's become safer for our field teams to get to faults on the network, although strong gusts are still forecast for today and we'll be monitoring the forecast closely. 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Some heavy rain will also accompany the strong winds, with up to 30mm possible."

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