A man has died in a weather-related incident in County Donegal, Ireland, as Storm Amy continues to batter the UK with severe winds and flooding. Irish police reported the death in the Letterkenny area shortly after 4.15pm on Friday. The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning covering the entire UK on Saturday, with an amber warning for damaging winds in northern Scotland until 9pm.
About 42,000 homes remain without power, and widespread travel disruption continues. Gusts of over 100mph have been recorded in exposed areas, causing railway and road closures, as well as ferry cancellations. In London, all eight royal parks, including Hyde Park and Richmond Park, were closed on Saturday due to strong winds, with Sunday openings delayed for safety inspections.
Storm Amy has set a new record for the deepest area of low pressure in the UK for October, with a central pressure of 947.9 hectopascals recorded at Baltasound, Shetland, surpassing the previous record of 950.9hPa set in 1988. Further disruption is expected in Scotland on Sunday, with a new amber warning for damaging winds and gusts of over 90mph.
Power cuts have been reported in the Highlands and islands, with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks working to restore power to 62,000 customers. Fraser Wilson from the network said on BBC Radio Scotland that the storm is not over and repairs will take time due to the extent of damage. Road closures include the Forth Road Bridge, while the Tay Road Bridge reopened with a 30mph speed restriction, remaining closed to high-sided vehicles.
ScotRail’s service delivery director Mark Ilderton warned of considerable disruption to train services on Saturday, advising customers to check their journeys before travelling. Network Rail reported over 60 incidents in the first two hours of the storm, including flooding and debris on tracks. The Scottish government has urged people to delay travel if possible.
