The Met Office has issued urgent weather warnings as Storm Amy, the first named storm of the season, is expected to bring gale-force winds of over 80mph and heavy rain to northern and western parts of the UK from Friday into Saturday.
Yellow wind and rain warnings are in place for Scotland, Northern Ireland, and parts of northern and north-west England, with a risk of danger to life. Gusts could reach 70-80mph inland in northern Britain, with even stronger winds on exposed coasts and hills, particularly in the north-west.
Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tom Crabtree said there is still uncertainty about the storm's exact track and urged the public to monitor forecasts. Heavy rainfall is expected, especially over western Scotland, where totals could exceed 30-50mm in six to nine hours, increasing the risk of localised flooding.
Transport Scotland has warned of travel disruption, advising motorists to check the Traffic Scotland website and passengers to verify services with operators. Martin Thomson of Transport Scotland said: '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 in the warning areas.'
The Met Office has been naming storms since 2015 to improve communication of high-impact weather. This season's names begin with Amy and continue alphabetically, excluding Q, U, X, Y, and Z to align with US naming conventions.
