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Scotland is set to be battered by hurricane-force winds today as Storm Floris brings 12 hours of ‘unseasonally disruptive’ conditions and torrential downpours.
Travel chaos, power cuts, mobile outages, and a risk of ‘injuries and danger to life’ from flying debris and coastal waves are expected as the second named storm of the year makes landfall.
Forecasters have upgraded the weather warning for central and northern Scotland to amber as 90mph gusts are predicted to hit coastal and more exposed areas.
Rail services on some lines will also end early.
Even inland winds are now expected to reach up to 70mph for ‘many parts’, with the weather alert in place until 10pm.
More than two weeks-worth of rain (60mm) is also predicted to fall in some parts, with Scots warned to ‘stay inside as much as possible’ to avoid ‘dangerous’ driving conditions.
The original yellow warning that was issued on Friday covering the entire country, as well as parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, remains in place until midnight (23.59 Monday), when gusts could reach up to 85mph.
The Beaufort wind force scale which is used in the UK states that speeds of more than 73mph fall within the hurricane category.
Chief Meteorologist Dan Suri said: ‘Much of Scotland is likely to see gusts of 50-70mph with more than 80mph on some exposed coasts, hills and bridges.. Western coastal areas will see the highest gusts late morning, with the strongest winds transferring to northeastern Scotland by late afternoon.
‘Across the wider Yellow warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60mph likely at higher elevations and around some exposed coasts.’
The Met Office is also expecting ‘relatively high accumulations’ of rainfall with the Western Isles, Highlands and Grampian areas expected to bear the brunt, where more than an inch [20-30mm] will fall ‘quite widely’, with more than two inches [40-60cm] likely on higher ground.
Holidaymakers have been urged to take extra care while camping, especially along coastal areas, during the ‘unseasonally disruptive storm’ that has resulted from an ‘incredibly strong jetstream’ sweeping across the Atlantic.
The Met Office said: ‘It is advisable to stay inside as much as possible within the amber warning area’ as it warned those in affects areas to expect ‘injuries and danger to life from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties’.
The forecaster also warned of falling trees, damage to buildings, as well as power cuts, disruption to mobile phone coverage, and bridge and road closures.
CalMac ferries has cancelled some of its sailings, while Network Rail confirmed it had stepped up inspections over the weekend and said additional teams will be on standby ‘including chainsaw-trained staff ready to respond quickly to any trees or debris blown onto the tracks’.
Lines which will close from noon will be Edinburgh to Fife/Perth/Dundee, Perth to Dundee/Aberdeen/Inverness, Dunblane to Perth, Inverness to Aberdeen/Wick/Thurso/Kyle of Lochalsh and the West Highland Line.
The railway operator added that speed restrictions may also be introduced to reduce the risk of trains striking obstructions and ‘ensure the safety of passengers and staff’.
ScotRail said it was working closely with Network Rail but Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said: ‘With strong winds and heavy rain expected to impact parts of the country, we’re encouraging customers to check their journey before travelling.’
Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: ‘With the severity of Storm Floris becoming clear, our priority is the safety of our passengers and colleagues. That is why we’ve taken the decision to close some parts of Scotland’s Railway early on Monday as the worst of the conditions hit the country.
‘Our engineers will also need to thoroughly inspect the network for any damage before we reopen the lines and restart train services on Tuesday morning.
‘Weather specialists, based in our control room, will monitor conditions closely throughout the storm, and our teams on the ground will be ready to deal with any issues caused by the weather as quickly as possible. We appreciate passengers’ patience while we get through this unprecedented summer storm.’
Scotland’s Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: ‘This is a slightly unusual situation for August, however the message is the same as winter - plan ahead, check your journey in advance, allow extra time, and don’t take any unnecessary risks.
‘Officials will be monitoring the situation and are ready to stand up the Multi Agency Response Team, if required.’
Floris is the first named storm since Eowyn in January and the sixth since the start of the 2024/25 Storm Naming Season.
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