Storm Floris disrupts travel in parts of UK with 85mph winds
A yellow warning for wind for northern parts of the UK became active at 6am on Monday and will last until 6am on Tuesday. The warnings have been upgraded to amber for much of Scotland and will be in effect from 10am to 10pm.
The train operator LNER has told passengers not to travel north of Newcastle, while Avanti West Coast has advised passengers not to travel north of Preston, which will be 'heavily impacted' by the weather.
The storm could also disrupt road, air and ferry services, and close bridges. Some trains and ferry services have been suspended with delays and further cancellations likely.
Much of Scotland would be battered by heavy rain and winds of up to 85mph (137km/h), the Met Office said.
Western coastal areas are expected to bear the brunt of the storm, although strong winds and rain are likely to cause disruption at Edinburgh's festivals.
Network Rail said several lines would be closed from noon on Monday, with all other routes experiencing a reduced timetable and longer journey times.
Routes in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife, Inverness, Perth, and the West Highland line are among those that will close at noon.
The ferry operator CalMac has also issued a series of cancellations in advance of the storm.
The Met Office's chief meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert, said: 'Across the warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60-70mph more likely at higher elevations and around exposed coasts in Scotland. There is a small chance that some locations here could even record gusts of 85mph.'
The strongest winds were likely to affect Scotland on Monday afternoon and night but there was some uncertainty over the depth and track of Floris, a spokesperson added.
Lehnert said: 'Winds will first ease in the west during later Monday but remaining very strong overnight until early Tuesday in the east. Heavy rain may also contribute to the disruption in places.'
The warning zone covers Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales and the north of England.
Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 naming season, which runs from early September to late August. Storm Éowyn, which struck in January, was the most recent.
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The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Storm Floris: 90mph winds trigger air, rail and sea chaos
Disruption from Storm Floris will continue into Tuesday, passengers have been warned after wind gusts of up to 82 mph brought down trees and power lines across Scotland and Ireland, triggering transport chaos for trains, flights and ferries. More than 22,500 homes were without power, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said, with 10,000 more affected in Ireland – mostly in Co Donegal and Co Roscommon. Festivals in Edinburgh were also been disrupted, with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo among the events cancelled, while the delivery of exam results to some island communities was delayed according to the Scottish Qualifications Authority. The Met Office confirmed wind gusts of up to 79mph as far apart as Kinloss, east of Inverness, and the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, with 82mph recorded at Wick in Caithness. Transport was paralysed across much of northern Britain. Network Rail closed all rail lines north of the Central Belt from midday, while a number of roads have been blocked. Disruption will continue into Tuesday. Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: 'Storm Floris has caused significant disruption to Scotland's railway, with wind speeds of up to 90mph, unprecedented for a summer storm. 'Our teams will work through the night, but this work will continue into Tuesday morning. We'll use two helicopters to assist engineers on the ground. We're grateful to passengers for their patience whilst we do this.' Earlier, the train operator had appealed to property owners to secure 'tents, trampolines or furniture' to prevent them being blown on to railway tracks. Anglo-Scottish rail travel was nigh-impossible on the East Coast and West Coast main lines. LNER and Lumo warned passengers not to attempt to travel north of Newcastle, while Avanti West Coast advised travellers not to venture north of Preston. The Caledonian Sleeper serving Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William is cancelled overnight on Monday. Train operators will accept passengers' tickets dated Monday on Tuesday, and in some cases Wednesday. Travellers were able to reach or leave Scotland by air for some of the day, but high winds at the northern airports of Aberdeen and Inverness caused two flights to turn back to their starting points. Both easyJet from Luton to Inverness and KLM from Amsterdam to Aberdeen abandoned their landings and flew back, with passengers enduring 900-mile 'flights to nowhere'. By 6pm the aviation data analyst, Cirium, had calculated more than 150 flights were cancelled: 79 departures and 74 arrivals. Most served northern Scotland and Northern Ireland. Aberdeen was worst affected with 29 cancellations, while Belfast City experienced 21 grounded flights. A number of campervans have been blown over on the A87 road, which leads to Portree on the Isle of Skye. 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." Elsewhere, some roads in Scotland and northern England were blocked by fallen trees. The vast majority of ferries serving western Scotland were cancelled. Caledonian MacBrayne warned people planning to sail on Tuesday: 'Due to forecast adverse weather, sailings will be liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice. Northlink, which serves Orkney and Shetland from mainland Scotland, warns of the possibility of disruption 'through to Wednesday 6 August'. 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.
Glasgow Times
22 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Everything we know about Storm Floris in Glasgow
Trains, buses, and several flights to and from the city were brought to a standstill as a 'threat to life' warning came into effect. A Met Office-issued amber weather warning for wind was in place from 10am until 11pm. (Image: Colin Mearns) (Image: Colin Mearns) The storm brought severe and unseasonably strong winds of up to 50 – 70mph inland and 80-90mph in exposed coastal and highland areas. Commuters experienced travel chaos as train services were suspended from midday as a safety measure. Network Rail Scotland had extra response teams, including chainsaw-trained staff on standby throughout the day to respond quickly to any obstructions on the railway. READ NEXT: LIVE updates as all Glasgow trains off during Storm Floris (Image: Network Rail Scotland/X) This was quickly needed when two trees fell on the Glasgow Queen Street to Cumbernauld line shortly after 11am. Emergency services later raced to Kings Park Station in the Southside of the city after a fire broke out on overhead lines near the station. (Image: Colin Mearns) (Image: Colin Mearns) (Image: Colin Mearns) Meanwhile, drivers faced significant delays on the M8 motorway after a trailer overturned on the Kingston Bridge at around 12.40pm. The on-slip road at junction three (Nitshill Interchange) of the M77 was also temporarily shut down due to a fallen tree. At Glasgow Airport, nearly 20 flights were axed due to the storm. Loganair pulled 18 of its flights, which had been due to travel on Monday. Customers were advised they could adjust their travel plans without charge, including rebooking on alternative flights up to seven days from their original travel date. READ NEXT: SQA warns of delays in receiving exam results by post (Image: Colin Mearns) (Image: Colin Mearns) In the city centre, filming for the latest Spider-Man instalment was suspended amid the adverse weather conditions. The decision to pause filming scenes for the Hollywood blockbuster was made as strong winds and heavy rain caused props and set pieces to topple. Images captured by our photographer, Colin Mearns, show the film set abandoned, with props left in place as the crew cleared the area. (Image: Colin Mearns) (Image: Colin Mearns) Elsewhere, pupils across Scotland were warned of delays in receiving their exam results by post due to 'widespread disruption' caused by Storm Floris. The Scottish Qualifications Agency (SQA) issued an urgent warning about the delivery of exam results to several parts of the country on Tuesday, August 5. In particular, Royal Mail confirmed there would be delays in deliveries to the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland. Further localised delays 'could also occur at short notice'. READ NEXT: ScotRail warns disruption on Tuesday after Storm Floris Affected candidates were advised to contact their school or college in the first instance if they wanted to know their results. There had been fears that nurseries in and around Glasgow may be forced to close; however, the council confirmed that they were running 'business as usual'. A Glasgow City Council spokesperson said: "We have no plans to close any nurseries. There might be local issues which force a closure (fingers crossed it doesn't), but for now, we are business as usual." On Monday evening, ScotRail warned that disruption could continue into Tuesday following widespread damage to railway infrastructure. Storm Floris caused major issues across the network, including fallen trees on the tracks and damage to overhead power lines. (Image: Colin Mearns) READ NEXT: Trailer overturns on Glasgow's M8 as Storm Floris hits The impact left behind a substantial clear-up organisation to make the railway safe for passenger services to resume. Network Rail teams worked around the clock to clear affected routes and carry out essential safety inspections. Two helicopters were brought in to support engineers on the ground to complete assessments as swiftly as possible. However, some sections of the network required additional checks during daylight hours on Tuesday, meaning further disruption is likely. ScotRail advised customers to check their journeys before travelling using the ScotRail mobile app or JourneyCheck platform. (Image: Newsquest) Homes in Glasgow's Toryglen area faced an unexpected power cut early in the evening. Scottish Power received the report at around 4pm, and the affected postcodes G44 4NL, G44 4PY, G44 4PZ, G44 4QB and G44 4QD went without electricity. The power supplier warned that the issue could be a complex fault, meaning it may take longer than usual to resolve. They said: "Our engineers are onsite. In most cases, our engineers can get your power back on by simply replacing a fuse at the local substation. "However, if the fault is complex, this may take us longer to fix" (Image: Newsquest) The M8 westbound in Glasgow was closed due to 'hanging debris' on an overhead gantry. Traffic Scotland confirmed that the motorway was shut from Junction 18, across the Kingston Bridge, after debris was reported hanging from the structure.
Glasgow Times
23 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Storm Floris to cause disruption into Tuesday in Scotland, Network Rail says
Network Rail said it is working 'tirelessly' to clear routes blocked by falling trees and debris. However, some checks will need to be carried out on Tuesday morning. (PA Graphics) Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland's route director, said: 'Storm Floris has caused significant disruption to Scotland's railway, with wind speeds of up to 90mph, unprecedented for a summer storm. 'Our teams have been working tirelessly to keep services moving where possible and to clear fallen trees and debris from the tracks. 'As the storm passes later this evening, our focus switches to inspecting routes which have been closed by fallen trees, debris and other damage. 'Our teams will work through the night, but this work will continue into Tuesday morning. 'We'll use two helicopters to assist engineers on the ground. We're grateful to passengers for their patience whilst we do this.' Rail, road and ferry travel have been disrupted and festival events cancelled as Storm Floris sweeps across Scotland, bringing with it heavy rain and gusts in excess of 100mph. Disruption on the railways has left passengers facing multiple cancellations, while a number of roads around the country have been blocked. Western coastal areas are bearing the brunt of the summer storm but strong winds and heavy rain are affecting much of the rest of the country. We have received 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. Campervans should remain parked in sheltered areas until wind speed reduces. — Police Scotland Highland & Islands (@PSOSHighland) August 4, 2025 An amber weather warning is in place in an area stretching from the central belt to the north coast until 11pm, with the Met Office saying injuries and danger to life are expected from large waves hitting seafronts, coastal roads and properties. The rest of the country is covered by a yellow weather warning until 11.59pm on Monday. Police 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. Fallen trees have also seen a number of other roads closed, including the A95 Rosarie road in both directions and the A96 in a number of locations, while the A9 at Daviot is partially blocked by a fallen tree. High winds have also led to the closure of the A9 Dornoch Bridge in both directions, and the A1 Tyne Bridge is only open to cars and single-decker buses. Those driving in poor weather have been urged to avoid the worst-hit areas and slow down when on the roads while allowing time for delays. The storm has also had a 'severe impact' on railways, with a number of services being pre-emptively cancelled and speed limits in place on all routes. Edinburgh to Fife/Perth/Dundee; Perth to Dundee/Aberdeen/Inverness and the West Highland Line are among the routes that were closed at noon on Monday. Here's a photograph of the damaged tree we were dealing with at Cornton, near Stirling.@ScotRail #StormFloris — Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) August 4, 2025 Network Rail has reported a number of storm-related incidents, including trees falling on to overhead lines at King's Park in Glasgow, Cornton near Stirling and near Paisley, and damage to overhead wires in the Hamilton Circle area. LNER has warned passengers not to travel north of Newcastle while Avanti West Coast has advised passengers not to travel north of Preston, as it warned it will be 'heavily impacted' by the weather. Meanwhile, ScotRail has urged people to secure all outdoor equipment such as trampolines. Posting on social media, the rail operator said: 'We're asking anyone with garden equipment, such as tents, trampolines or furniture, to secure items so that they don't blow onto the tracks and interfere with lineside equipment.' The Kusz family are among those contending with delays and cancellations on the railway, as they attempt to return home to Blackpool with 11 pieces of luggage following a family holiday in Ayr. They are currently at Glasgow Central station where they said there had been 'about nine cancellations'. Paul Audoire, 59, told the PA news agency: '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. The Kusz family are among those contending with disruption on the railways as they try to get from Glasgow to Blackpool (Sarah Ward/PA) '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.' Ferries have also seen widespread disruption, with ferry operator CalMac cancelling a number of sailings on Monday as a result of high winds. Festivals in the Edinburgh area have also been disrupted, with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a ceilidh event on Princes Street Gardens and the Fringe by the Sea in North Berwick all cancelled on Monday as a result of the expected high winds. Earlier, Scottish Government ministers said it was 'imperative' that people follow advice as Storm Floris hit the country. In a post on X, First Minister John Swinney appealed to the public to 'please stay safe', adding that weather conditions would be 'very difficult' on Monday with disruption to some services. Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland news programme, Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: '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.' Ms Constance said the Government's resilience room had been activated to give authorities a clear picture of the situation around the country. 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.' A yellow warning for other parts of Scotland is in place from 6am until midnight. Forecasters have warned people who are outdoors to avoid walking or seeking shelter near buildings or trees, and said that loose items including bins and garden furniture could blow away unless secured. The Met Office said there was the potential for power cuts in some areas as well as disruption to mobile phone coverage. 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.
