The Met Office has issued an amber 'danger to life' warning as Storm Amy, the first named storm of the season, is set to hit the UK this weekend. The storm, currently developing in the Atlantic, will bring disruptive wet and windy weather to much of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northwest England and northwest Wales from Friday into Saturday.
The amber warning for wind covers northern and western parts of Scotland, in effect from 5pm on Friday until 9am on Saturday. Gusts in excess of 95mph are possible within the warning area, posing a risk of power cuts, damage to buildings and trees, and dangerous conditions near coasts. More widely, gusts of 60-70mph are expected.
Met Office Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong said: 'Within the amber warning area, gusts in excess of 95mph are possible from Friday evening and into Saturday morning as Storm Amy brings a risk of power cuts and damage to buildings and trees.' He added that rainfall is an additional hazard, particularly over western Scotland, where totals could exceed 30-50mm in 6-9 hours, increasing the risk of flooding.
Elsewhere, yellow warnings for wind and rain have been issued. Greater Manchester is covered by two yellow warnings: one for wind from 3pm Friday to 11:59pm Saturday, and one for rain from 3pm to 11:59pm on Friday. The rain warning states: 'Heavy rainfall is likely to lead to travel disruption and some flooding.' Gusty winds of up to 70mph are possible even in some inland areas.
Martin Thomson from Transport Scotland advised: 'Storm Amy is set to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Scotland and we expect to see disruption to the transport network... Motorists should use the Traffic Scotland website before they set off to make sure that their route is available.'
