The Met Office has officially named Storm Amy as the first storm of the season, forecasting gusts exceeding 80mph along with heavy rainfall across parts of the UK. The storm is expected to make landfall on Friday, bringing disruption through the weekend.
Storm Amy follows the collision of Hurricane Humberto, a Category 3 storm, with Storm Imelda over the Atlantic Ocean. Storm Imelda has already been linked to two deaths in Cuba due to a landslide that destroyed several homes.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for more than 40 regions, particularly affecting northern and western areas. Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are likely for many, with exposed coasts and hills seeing gusts up to 80 mph. The strongest winds are expected over parts of northern Scotland.
The Met Office warned of difficult driving conditions for high-sided vehicles and potential power cuts affecting mobile phone coverage. It advised the public to prepare torches, batteries, and mobile phone power packs, and to check road conditions or public transport timetables before travelling.
Winds are expected to ease for most areas on Saturday afternoon but will remain very strong for the Northern Isles and far north of Scotland through to the end of the day before slowly easing overnight.
