UK summer storm sows travel chaos
Gusts in the north of Scotland reached 132 kmh, the fastest ever recorded in August in Scotland.
The second-most serious amber wind warning was in place across almost all of Scotland as officials sought to minimise damage.
'Storm Floris is an unusually strong storm for the time of year,' the UK's Meteorological Office said in a statement.
The Met Office said it was only the third time an amber wind warning had been issued in August since the system launched in 2011, adding that some gusts in Scotland were 'likely' to beat records.
Scientists say human-induced climate change is driving more intense and frequent extreme weather events around the globe, as the planet continues to warm.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Sign Up
Sign Up
Several train operators in northern England and Scotland cancelled services, warning passengers not to make their journeys.
A tree was removed after it fell onto overhead railway wires in Glasgow, causing a fire, according to Network Rail Scotland. Multiple trees were also blown over in the northeastern Scottish region of Aberdeenshire, blocking roads.
Flights were cancelled, especially from Aberdeen airport in the north-east.
In Scotland's capital, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo marching parade was cancelled and Edinburgh Zoo said it would be closed for the day.
Balmoral Castle, the summer residence of the Royal Family in the north of Scotland, was also closed to visitors on Monday.
About 22,500 homes were without power in the afternoon according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks.
Storm Floris is the second named storm to hit the UK this year, and the sixth one this storm season, which will run from early September 2024 to late August 2025. AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
US V-P Vance to meet Lammy during UK ‘holiday'
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US Vice-President J.D. Vance and his family (left) will spend a weekend at the country retreat of British foreign minister David Lammy during their holiday. LONDON - British foreign minister David Lammy will on Aug 8 meet US Vice-President J.D. Vance, who is on holiday in the country, Britain's government confirmed. Mr Lammy will host Mr Vance at his country retreat in Chevening in Kent, south-east of London, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Aug 7. 'The vice-president and his family will stay at Chevening House throughout the weekend for a private holiday,' the ministry added. The statement said the pair 'will discuss shared priorities and the strength of the UK-US relationship,' without elaborating further. UK media outlets have reported that Mr Vance and his family - he has three young children - will then spend some time in the Cotswolds region in western England for a summer holiday. Although they have differing political stands, Mr Lammy and Mr Vance are believed to have struck up a warm relationship, bonding over their difficult childhoods and shared Christian faith. The UK foreign secretary reportedly attended mass at the vice-president's residence in Washington in March. Mr Vance's visit comes after President Donald Trump spent five days at his golf resorts in Scotland in July. Mr Trump signed a trade deal with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and held a freewheeling press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his stay. He also played golf and opened a new 18-hole course at one of his two Scottish resorts. Mr Trump is due back in the UK for a state visit in September. AFP
Business Times
3 days ago
- Business Times
Beijing evacuates more than 80,000 over heavy rains: state media
[BEIJING] Chinese authorities evacuated over 82,000 people across Beijing at risk from heavy rainfall, state media said, after dozens of people died in flooding in the capital's suburbs last week. State news agency Xinhua said tens of thousands had been relocated from vulnerable areas as of 9.00 pm (1300 GMT) Monday, according to the city's flood control headquarters. Authorities warned of flooding risks in the northwestern suburb of Miyun - the hardest hit by last week's deluge - as well as southwestern Fangshan, western Mentougou and northern Huairou. The municipal weather service also announced a red alert - the highest in a four-tier system - forecasting heavy rain from noon on Monday until Tuesday morning. Floods in Beijing's northern suburbs killed at least 44 people and left nine missing last week, according to official figures. Some 31 fatalities occurred at an elderly care centre in Miyun - prompting a local official to admit 'gaps' in disaster readiness. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Residents of flood-hit areas told AFP journalists that they had been surprised at the speed with which the rushing water inundated homes and devastated villages. A man walks past damaged cars in a flooded neighbourhood in Miyun district, Beijing, China, July 29, 2025. PHOTO: AFP Natural disasters are common across China, particularly in the summer, when some regions experience heavy rain while others bake in searing heat. China is the world's biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that drive climate change and contribute to making extreme weather more frequent and intense. But it is also a global renewable energy powerhouse that aims to make its massive economy carbon-neutral by 2060. AFP
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
British summer storm sows travel chaos
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Gusts in the north of Scotland reached 132kmh, the fastest ever recorded in August in Scotland. London - High-speed winds disrupted trains and blew over trees in Scotland and northern England where residents were advised against travelling as an 'unusually' fierce summer storm hit Britain on Aug 4. Gusts in the north of Scotland reached 132kmh, the fastest ever recorded in August in Scotland. The second-most serious amber wind warning was in place across almost all of Scotland as officials sought to minimise damage. 'Storm Floris is an unusually strong storm for the time of year,' Britain's Meteorological Office said in a statement. The Met Office said it was only the third time an amber wind warning had been issued in August since the system launched in 2011, adding that some gusts in Scotland were 'likely' to beat records. Scientists say human-induced climate change is driving more intense and frequent extreme weather events around the globe, as the planet continues to warm. Several train operators in northern England and Scotland cancelled services, warning passengers not to make their journeys. A tree was removed after it fell onto overhead railway wires in Glasgow, causing a fire, according to Network Rail Scotland. Multiple trees were also blown over in the northeastern Scottish region of Aberdeenshire, blocking roads. Flights were cancelled, especially from Aberdeen airport in the north-east. In Scotland's capital, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo marching parade was cancelled and Edinburgh Zoo said it would be closed for the day. Balmoral Castle, the summer residence of the Royal Family in the north of Scotland, was also closed to visitors on Aug 4. About 22,500 homes were without power in the afternoon according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks. Storm Floris is the second named storm to hit the UK in 2025, and the sixth one this storm season, which will run from early September 2024 to late August 2025. AFP
