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Scottish Sun

More than 50,000 Scots homes in darkness after Storm Floris power cuts as government holds emergency meeting

TENS of thousands of Scottish homes were left without power after Storm Floris pummelled the country with gusts of up to 90mph. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said engineers were still continuing to restore supplies to 22,000 Scots after about 50,000 homes suffered electricity outages. Advertisement 6 Fallen tree on Glasgow's Ballater Street narrowly misses homes Credit: Steve Welsh 6 Hundreds of trains were cancelled yesterday and more than 70 have been axed today Credit: Steve Welsh 6 Tree on the line at Giffnock during 90mph winds Credit: NEWTWORK RAIL SCOTLAND 6 The meeting was attended by justice and home affairs secretary Angela Constance Credit: Alamy SSEN said Floris was "the most damaging summer storm in recent memory" with thousands of properties hit in the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire. Meanwhile there have been 119 incidents on Scotland's rail network caused by yesterday's severe weather, 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 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. Last night the Scottish Government held an emergency meeting in response to the "significant disruption" caused. Advertisement The Resilience Room held the meeting to help decide an appropriate response to the storm, which has led to power outages, delays in exam results being delivered to pupils and travel disruption, amid other issues. During the meeting, ministers heard that utilities companies are working to reconnect properties experiencing power outages. 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. They were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, SEPA, transport and utilities companies and further resilience partners. Advertisement The Transport Scotland Resilience Room and the Multi-Agency Response Team remain activated to monitor and report on conditions throughout the duration of the storm. Trunk road companies are continuing to remove fallen trees and debris from damaged infrastructure from roads, and have engaged specialist resources to assist. Storm Floris LIVE- Scotland braces for 90mph battering as amber 'danger to life' warning issued & trains axed Following the meeting, Ms 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. "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. Advertisement "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. "We will continue to receive updates throughout Tuesday and will have a better idea on public transport tomorrow morning." On X, Network Rail said it has "worked closely with all train operators" to co-ordinate the railway's response to the storm. The railway operator added: "We've been working around the clock to keep services moving today. Advertisement "Our teams will continue inspecting routes for #StormFloris damage overnight, but this will continue into Tuesday morning." 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. 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. Advertisement 6 Tourists in Edinburgh sheltering from the storm Credit: PA 6 Roads were flooded in the East End of Glasgow Credit: EPA As of 11.30pm last night, a yellow weather warning from the Met Office was in place in Scotland until 8am on Tuesday. 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. Advertisement 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."