logo
Storm Floris to cause disruption into Tuesday in Scotland, Network Rail says

Storm Floris to cause disruption into Tuesday in Scotland, Network Rail says

Glasgow Times2 days ago
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. pic.twitter.com/fzUIk9dZEm
— 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 pic.twitter.com/JMhW6IZDE6
— 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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fewer than 1,000 Scottish homes still without power after Storm Floris
Fewer than 1,000 Scottish homes still without power after Storm Floris

Glasgow Times

time5 hours ago

  • Glasgow Times

Fewer than 1,000 Scottish homes still without power after Storm Floris

By 9.30pm on Wednesday, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said there were around 950 homes, mainly in the Highlands, that were still without power as a result of the weather. Around 98.6% of customers (71,000) have been reconnected as hundreds of engineers worked into the evening in affected areas for as long as daylight allowed. SSEN said the teams will return to continue to repair the network on Thursday morning. The company added: 'SSEN thanks customers for their understanding and patience while we continue to repair the network and reconnect customers as safely and quickly as possible.' Justice and Home Affairs Minister Angela Constance said the storm had a particular impact on power and transport infrastructure across the country, resulting in a major mobilisation of utility companies, national agencies and local authorities. Justice and Home Affairs Minister Angela Constance (Jane Barlow/PA) The Scottish Government said transport services are almost back to normal, and engineers are continuing to restore power to homes and businesses. Ms Constance thanked responders who assisted in reconnecting the public and businesses. She said: 'I want to thank everyone in the public, private and third sector for the role they played in responding to Storm Floris. 'It was a significant and unseasonal storm with the worst affected areas covering a wide geographical spread. 'Engineers have worked tirelessly over the past two days to return power to the remaining affected properties as soon as possible. 'Energy companies continue to provide support to customers, including ensuring provisions are in place for the most vulnerable.' Thousands of customers spent a second night without power after Storm Floris swept in on Monday. Tens of thousands were left without power after winds reached speeds of up to 90mph earlier in the week. An amber weather warning was in place for an area stretching from the central belt to northern Scotland for much of the day on Monday while the rest of the country was covered by a yellow weather warning. The storm also caused significant disruption to Scotland's rail network. Network Rail said teams had been working 'tirelessly' to repair damage to infrastructure such as overhead lines and to clear fallen trees and debris from the tracks. The storm also led to delays in exam results being delivered to pupils in some island communities on SQA results day on Tuesday.

Fewer than 1,000 Scottish homes still without power after Storm Floris
Fewer than 1,000 Scottish homes still without power after Storm Floris

Powys County Times

time6 hours ago

  • Powys County Times

Fewer than 1,000 Scottish homes still without power after Storm Floris

Fewer than 1,000 homes affected by Storm Floris are still without power after crews spent Wednesday restoring supplies to thousands. By 9.30pm on Wednesday, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said there were around 950 homes, mainly in the Highlands, that were still without power as a result of the weather. Around 98.6% of customers (71,000) have been reconnected as hundreds of engineers worked into the evening in affected areas for as long as daylight allowed. SSEN said the teams will return to continue to repair the network on Thursday morning. The company added: 'SSEN thanks customers for their understanding and patience while we continue to repair the network and reconnect customers as safely and quickly as possible.' Justice and Home Affairs Minister Angela Constance said the storm had a particular impact on power and transport infrastructure across the country, resulting in a major mobilisation of utility companies, national agencies and local authorities. The Scottish Government said transport services are almost back to normal, and engineers are continuing to restore power to homes and businesses. Ms Constance thanked responders who assisted in reconnecting the public and businesses. She said: 'I want to thank everyone in the public, private and third sector for the role they played in responding to Storm Floris. 'It was a significant and unseasonal storm with the worst affected areas covering a wide geographical spread. 'Engineers have worked tirelessly over the past two days to return power to the remaining affected properties as soon as possible. 'Energy companies continue to provide support to customers, including ensuring provisions are in place for the most vulnerable.' Thousands of customers spent a second night without power after Storm Floris swept in on Monday. Tens of thousands were left without power after winds reached speeds of up to 90mph earlier in the week. An amber weather warning was in place for an area stretching from the central belt to northern Scotland for much of the day on Monday while the rest of the country was covered by a yellow weather warning. The storm also caused significant disruption to Scotland's rail network. Network Rail said teams had been working 'tirelessly' to repair damage to infrastructure such as overhead lines and to clear fallen trees and debris from the tracks. The storm also led to delays in exam results being delivered to pupils in some island communities on SQA results day on Tuesday.

Fewer than 1,000 Scottish homes still without power after Storm Floris
Fewer than 1,000 Scottish homes still without power after Storm Floris

Leader Live

time7 hours ago

  • Leader Live

Fewer than 1,000 Scottish homes still without power after Storm Floris

By 9.30pm on Wednesday, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said there were around 950 homes, mainly in the Highlands, that were still without power as a result of the weather. Around 98.6% of customers (71,000) have been reconnected as hundreds of engineers worked into the evening in affected areas for as long as daylight allowed. SSEN said the teams will return to continue to repair the network on Thursday morning. The company added: 'SSEN thanks customers for their understanding and patience while we continue to repair the network and reconnect customers as safely and quickly as possible.' Justice and Home Affairs Minister Angela Constance said the storm had a particular impact on power and transport infrastructure across the country, resulting in a major mobilisation of utility companies, national agencies and local authorities. The Scottish Government said transport services are almost back to normal, and engineers are continuing to restore power to homes and businesses. Ms Constance thanked responders who assisted in reconnecting the public and businesses. She said: 'I want to thank everyone in the public, private and third sector for the role they played in responding to Storm Floris. 'It was a significant and unseasonal storm with the worst affected areas covering a wide geographical spread. 'Engineers have worked tirelessly over the past two days to return power to the remaining affected properties as soon as possible. 'Energy companies continue to provide support to customers, including ensuring provisions are in place for the most vulnerable.' Thousands of customers spent a second night without power after Storm Floris swept in on Monday. Tens of thousands were left without power after winds reached speeds of up to 90mph earlier in the week. An amber weather warning was in place for an area stretching from the central belt to northern Scotland for much of the day on Monday while the rest of the country was covered by a yellow weather warning. The storm also caused significant disruption to Scotland's rail network. Network Rail said teams had been working 'tirelessly' to repair damage to infrastructure such as overhead lines and to clear fallen trees and debris from the tracks. The storm also led to delays in exam results being delivered to pupils in some island communities on SQA results day on Tuesday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store