Megan Bonar and Paul O’Hare
BBC Scotland News
Storm Floris is bringing high winds and heavy rain moving across Scotland
An amber weather warning is in place for most of Scotland as Storm Floris is set to batter parts of the country with winds of up to 85mph.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance said the storm would bring “significant disruption” across the country and urged people to plan for a “winter journey”.
The wind warning, which will now be in place until 23:00, covers much of mainland Scotland, the Western Isles and Orkney.
The Met Office has issued a separate yellow wind warning for Orkney and Shetland which will take effect from midnight until 08:00 on Tuesday.
Trains and ferries have been cancelled ahead of the weather front moving and people have been urged to plan ahead and avoid travel.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has been cancelled. Other scheduled outdoor events at Edinburgh’s festivals are facing disruption.
The rest of the country, including areas such as Dumfries and the Borders as well as Orkney and Shetland, will remain under a yellow warning from 06:00 until 00:00.
Storm Floris, named by the Met Office, is predicted to have “unseasonably strong winds”.
The amber warning covers a wide area from the central belt – including Glasgow and Edinburgh – to the Highlands.
Gusts of up to 85mph are likely to hit exposed western coastlines and hills, while winds of 70mph are expected elsewhere.
Winds will begin to ease in the west later on Monday but will remain very strong overnight until early Tuesday in the east.
Where will Storm Floris hit hardest?
Western coastal areas will see the highest gusts between late morning and early afternoon, with the strongest winds then transferring to the north-east, including Aberdeenshire, by late afternoon and early evening.
Power disruption is also possible while heavy rain and flooding could be an additional hazard.
Met Office 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 will most likely affect Scotland on Monday afternoon and night but “there remains some uncertainty in the depth and track of Floris”, a spokesperson added.
The amber warning covers most of mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland
Though rare, summer storms are not unprecedented. They pose particular problems precisely because they hit at this time of year.
Trees are in full leaf and are more likely to be toppled and limbs broken off than in winter, when the wind can move unimpeded through bare branches.
The Met Office has advised that flying debris and large waves could cause injuries and danger to life.
They also advised people to secure loose items such as garden furniture, trampolines, tents and sheds.
The weather is expected to cause disruption as many people are travelling across the country during the school holidays.
High-sided vehicles such as coaches and caravans are especially vulnerable to high winds.
What travel is being disrupted by Storm Floris?
There have already been widespread cancellations throughout Scotland’s transport system on Monday.
David Ross, ScotRail communications director, said the storm had already caused disruption on the network.
He said there had been reports from near Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, on Monday morning that falling trees had damaged overhead wires, while services north of the central belt have been cancelled between mid-morning and lunchtime for the rest of the day.
Mr Ross told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme that speed restrictions would be in place across the network for the whole day.
He advised passengers to check the status of their journeys before setting off.
Ferry operator CalMac issued an early series of cancellation warnings ahead of the storm.
It posted on X: “Disruption to sailings is expected across our network on Monday August 4 due to forecasted strong winds across parts of Scotland’s west coast.”
Network Rail has said a number of railways will close at 12:00 on Monday, while all other routes will see a reduced timetable and longer journey times due to speed restrictions.
Those lines which have been announced as closing are:
Edinburgh – Fife/Perth/DundeePerth – Dundee/Aberdeen/InvernessDunblane – PerthInverness – Aberdeen/Wick/Thurso/Kyle of LochalshWest Highland Line (Helensburgh Upper – Oban, Fort William and Mallaig)
Ross Moran of Network Rail Scotland said they had taken action early due to the predicted “severity of Storm Floris”.
“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,” he said.
“We appreciate passengers’ patience while we get through this unprecedented summer storm.”
Rail, road, air and festival disruption
LNER, which runs rail services between Scotland’s east coast and London, has warned passengers not to travel north of Newcastle on Monday as a result of the forecast.
Avanti West Coast has also advised passengers not to travel north of Preston as it expects its routes to be “heavily affected”.
The operator said services are likely to be impacted in Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell, Haymarket, Glasgow Central and Edinburgh.
Getty Images
Storm Eowyn in January felled trees in Helensburgh and the risk of trees coming down is greater when they are full of leaves in summer
Police Scotland have issued advice for road users and urged people to consider delaying travel until conditions improve.
The AA has also urged drivers to be cautious.
The organisation’s Shaun Jones said: “Keep both hands on the wheel, especially on open roads and motorways, and be mindful of high-sided vehicles and cyclists who may be more affected by gusts.
“Watch out for fallen branches or debris, particularly in rural areas – this could be tell-tale signs of a fallen tree ahead.”
Loganair has cancelled morning flights from Glasgow to Tiree, Benbecula and Barra.
The airline has also offered customers the opportunity to adjust travel plans without charge up to seven days from their original travel date.
Four Loganair flights to Scottish islands were cancelled this morning
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, scheduled to take place on Monday night, was cancelled on Sunday night.
A spokesman said: “Due to adverse weather warnings, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the performance on 4 August at 9:30 pm.
“We understand this will be disappointing, but the safety of our audience, performers and staff is our top priority.
“All tickets for the 4th August performance will be automatically cancelled and refunded. Those wishing to rebook will find up-to-date availability at www.edintattoo.co.uk.”
The organisers of Fringe By The Sea have announced the cancellation of Monday’s planned events. The festival, which takes place in North Berwick, will reopen on Tuesday at 10:00.
Edinburgh City Council has announced that Princes Street Gardens will be closed on Monday and Tuesday as a precaution, leading to the cancellation of some Edinburgh International Festival events including Monday’s ceilidh sessions.
The Pleasance said it had closed its The Green venue, in the Pleasance Courtyard, and Edinburgh Fringe Festival organisers said they were monitoring the impacts of the “evolving storm”.
“Should a show be cancelled our customer services team will be in touch with customers who have purchased tickets… we will update advice and guidance throughout the day tomorrow,” a spokesman said.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, along with Benmore, Dawyck and Logan Botanic Gardens, will be closed as a safety precaution.
Pittenweem Arts Festival in Fife has also been cancelled.
Monday’s Fringe By the Sea events have also been cancelled
Meanwhile, Hearts are due to kick off their Scottish Premiership campaign against Aberdeen at Tynecastle in Edinburgh on Monday.
Aberdeen fans have sold out the away allocation for the match, which kicks off at 20:00.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance encouraged those planning to travel to take precautions and consider travelling as a “winter journey, not a summer journey”.
Ms Constance said the Scottish government’s resilience room had been activated to respond to the storm and contingency plans were in place to deal with longer-term disruption.
“It is always possible that advice can change throughout the day,” she told Good Morning Scotland.
“Part of the preparations for any storm is for energy companies to contact priority customers who cannot be without a power supply in their home.
“If you have an elderly relative or a neighbour who is a wee bit vulnerable, be friendly, check they are all right.”
What is an amber weather warning?
Weather warnings are divided into three colours, yellow, amber and red – the latter being the most severe.
Yellow warnings are the lowest level of warning and are the ones most often issued. They forecast that some severe weather is possible and suggest people should start planning for some impact on travel, power or property.
However, when either confidence in the forecast of severe weather or the level of disruption expected increases, it is upgraded to an amber warning.
An amber warning essentially means there is a high likelihood of severe weather that will have a medium impact.
Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said a meeting had been held on Friday to ensure the country was ready for the storm.
“Given the unusual timing, and the fact some people will be on holiday, travelling or perhaps unaware, we are trying to raise even more awareness than usual of this potentially disruptive storm,” she 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.
“I am grateful to those who are giving up their weekend and time off to help coordinate the transport sector’s response.
“Traffic Scotland, Police Scotland, Sepa, local authorities and others will communicate any closures to the public and provide real time updates,” she added.
