Storm Floris: 90mph gusts hit train services – as it happened

Wind gusts reaching 90mph from Storm Floris have disrupted train services in Scotland

Network Rail Scotland said wind gusts reaching 90mph from Storm Floris have disrupted train services.

A map shared on X showed areas with the highest wind speeds recorded, including one recording of 90mph.

The rail company said the west of Scotland had been particularly affected by disruption by 10am.

#StormFloris. These are the wind speeds we’re seeing at 10:00 across Scotland’s Railway as the storm moves in.

We’re starting to see disruption to services, particularly in the west. If you’re due to travel this morning, check your journey before you go.@ScotRail pic.twitter.com/LcwrPErZi0

— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) August 4, 2025A Network Rail passenger information sign at Edinburgh Waverley Photograph: Jane Barlow/PAShare

Updated at 13.17 CEST

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A summary of today’s developments

Storm Floris’ disruption to the rail network in Scotland will likely continue into Tuesday, passengers have been warned. Network Rail said it is working “tirelessly” to clear routes blocked by falling trees and debris.

About 2,700 homes in Ireland are still without power due to Storm Floris.

Network Rail Scotland said wind gusts reaching 90mph from Storm Floris disrupted train services. The top wind speed recorded so far is 124mph at Cairngorm, a mountain range in northern Scotland, according to Met Office data.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said 68 flights from UK airports on Monday have been cancelled. That is equivalent to 2.2% of all scheduled departures.

More than 22,000 properties are without electricity in the Highlands and north-east of Scotland as Storm Floris hits the country with high winds. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it is working to restore power to 22,500 properties while more are expected to be affected later in the day.

Network Rail said power has been lost to part of the overhead wires on the west coast main line as it battles with disruption from Storm Floris. The west coast main line between Motherwell and Newton in South Lanarkshire was affected by the outage.

There will be delays to the delivery of some exam results in island communities as a result of Storm Floris, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has said. With results due on Tuesday, the SQA said deliveries to the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland will be delayed due to the adverse weather.

In Scotland, police have warned drivers to stay away from two roads in Aberdeenshire and the western Highlands, which were blocked by fallen trees and overturned camper vans respectively.

Angus council closed all its recycling centres from midday and said this morning that its bin collections would also be suspended from midday. While its council buildings remain open, the Scottish council asked people to “consider whether they need to attend any of our council buildings”. You can read more here.

A fire has been reported on overhead lines at a train station in the south of Glasgow. Engineers have been called out to other incidents as Storm Floris brings travel disruption across Scotland, with trees falling on to tracks.

A number of camper vans have been blown over on the A87 road, which leads to Portreee on the Isle of Skye, as Storm Floris hit Scotland. Police are advising drivers to stay away from the Bealach na Ba road in Wester Ross due to the high rinds.

Network Rail Scotland have posted to X saying its engineers are dealing with fallen trees on tracks in the west of the country. “The team are responding to fallen trees at both Robroyston and Stepps on the Glasgow Queen Street – Cumbernauld route, and we’ve had a report of minor damage to the overhead wires,” it wrote in one social media post.

Updated at 22.30 CEST

The storm is due to clear from the Orkney and Shetland Isles on Tuesday morning, but showers will remain throughout the rest of the country, the Met Office said.

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.

Here is footage of the gusts of more than 100mph that have brought travel disruption, power cuts and the widespread cancellation of events across large parts of the UK.

Strong winds cause power cuts and travel disruption as Storm Floris batters the UK – videoShare

Updated at 22.01 CEST

Mark Brown

Gusts of more than 100mph from Storm Floris have brought travel disruption, power cuts and the widespread cancellation of events across large parts of the UK.

Central and northern Scotland was the area most affected on Monday, causing the kind of problems normally seen on a stormy winter’s day.

Met Office data showed a gust of 134mph was recorded at the summit of Cairn Gorm in the Highlands, 1,245 metres above sea level. The strongest gust away from mountains was 80mph at South Uist.

Storm Floris was the UK’s sixth named storm of the 2024-25 season and the first since Storm Éowyn in January.

A number of councils in Northern Ireland have closed outdoor spaces including parks and recycling centres.

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has also advised the public not to visit affected forests and parks on Monday and Tuesday until the high winds have passed.

The Kempes Stone Road in Dundonald, which was closed at the Greengraves Road due to a fallen tree, has now fully reopened.

ShareA person takes pictures with their phone at the esplanade, as Storm Floris hits Scotland, in Oban. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/ReutersSharePeople run for cover during Storm Floris on the north coast of Northern Ireland, Portstewart. Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/ReutersSharePeople carry their pram across the beach after getting stuck in the sand during Storm Floris on the north coast of Northern Ireland. Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/ReutersShare

The top wind speed recorded so far is 124mph at Cairngorm, a mountain range in northern Scotland, according to Met Office data.

Storm Floris was expected to bring winds of up to 90mph.

Around 2,700 homes in Ireland are still without power due to Storm Floris.

ESB Networks said: “ESB Networks can confirm that as of 5pm, approximately 2,700 homes, farms and businesses across the country are without power.

“Crews will continue to work late into this evening with a view to restoring supply to the vast majority of impacted customers by tonight.

“Real-time information on power outages and restoration times is available on www.PowerCheck.ie.”

The statement added: “We apologise to all homes, farms and businesses impacted for the inconvenience caused.”

Storm Floris’ disruption to the rail network in Scotland will likely continue into Tuesday, passengers have been warned.

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.

Afternoon summary

Network Rail Scotland said wind gusts reaching 90mph from Storm Floris have disrupted train services. A map shared on X showed areas with the highest wind speeds recorded, including one recording of 90mph.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said 68 flights from UK airports on Monday have been cancelled. That is equivalent to 2.2% of all scheduled departures.

Network Rail says power has been lost to part of the overhead wires on the west coast main line as it battles with disruption from Storm Floris. The west coast main line between Motherwell and Newton in South Lanarkshire was affected by the outage.

In Scotland, police have warned drivers to stay away from two roads in Aberdeenshire and the western highlands, which were blocked by fallen trees and overturned campervans respectively.

A number of campervans have been blown over on the A87 road, which leads to Portreee on the Isle of Skye, as Storm Floris hit Scotland. Police are advising drivers to stay away from the Bealach na Ba road in Wester Ross due to the high rinds.

A person struggles to use their umbrella in the wind, as Storm Floris hits parts of Britain, near the Houses of Parliament in London.

People struggle in the wind, as Storm Floris hits parts of Britain, in London. Photograph: Toby Melville/ReutersShare

There will be delays to the delivery of some exam results in island communities as a result of Storm Floris, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has said.

With results due on Tuesday, the SQA said deliveries to the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland will be delayed due to the adverse weather.

The SQA said students should contact their school or college in the first instance who should be able to help them.

Aviation analytics company Cirium said 68 flights from UK airports on Monday have been cancelled.

That is equivalent to 2.2% of all scheduled departures.

The worst-affected airports are Aberdeen and Belfast City, with 12 and 10 cancellations respectively.

More than 22,000 properties are without electricity in the Highlands and north-east of Scotland as Storm Floris hits the country with high winds.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it is working to restore power to 22,500 properties while more are expected to be impacted later in the day.

SSEN is the network operator for the north of Scotland.

The company says it has hundreds of extra staff working but it may not be able to reconnect everyone by the end of the day.

SSEN’s director of customer operations Andy Smith said: “Storm Floris is the strongest summer storm we’ve seen in a very long time and it’s causing significant disruption to power supplies today.

“At the height of summer, we’ve mounted an operation that’s comparable in size to the ones we mobilise when a storm hits during the depths of winter, but the sustained nature of these damaging winds means some affected customers may be without power overnight.”

He added: “Remember – you can report faults to us by calling 105 at any time, or via the Power Track website or app.

“And please – if you come across any network damage, stay well back and inform us immediately.”

Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater says Storm Floris – which is brining unseasonal weather to parts of the UK – shows the need for urgent action to tackle the climate crisis.

Slater said:

We should not be seeing storms like this in August, but with climate chaos around us these kinds of scenes will only become more common and more severe.

I urge everyone to stay safe and follow the guidance from the emergency services who are working to protect us all. I also urge employers to support workers who are being impacted by the storm and ensure that they are not being put in harm’s way or being asked to go into it unnecessarily.

Our weather has been all over the place this summer, with heat waves and wild fires giving way to storms and everything in between. We cannot let this be our future.

The truth is that the more urgent the crisis has become the less our governments are doing to address it. We need a focus on mitigations and defences, but we also need leaders who are willing to take the local and international action that is needed to climate-proof our future.

Climate action is not just about managing our temperatures, it is about protecting people and the services we all rely on and ensuring that we have a society that is built to cope.

Here are some more pictures of the damage caused by Storm Floris:

A worker removes a fallen tree blocking a part of the A82 road near Onich in Scotland. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/ReutersWorkers cut up a tree which was felled by the wind on Plessey Road in Blyth, Northumberland. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PAPassengers face delays in Manchester Piccadilly train station. Photograph: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty ImagesShare

Network Rail says power has been lost to part of the overhead wires on the west coast main line as it battles with disruption from Storm Floris.

The west coast main line between Motherwell and Newton in South Lanarkshire was affected by the outage.

In another incident, lines in Inverclyde were affected by a loss of power between Bishopton and Paisley.

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