Rail lines in western and northern Scotland will close as Storm Boelo arrives on Saturday, bringing gusts of up to 80mph. An amber weather warning has been issued for much of Scotland from Saturday evening until 9pm on Sunday.
The warning, upgraded from yellow, covers all of mainland Scotland and islands off its west coast. A yellow warning begins at midday on Saturday, with the amber alert taking effect at 9pm and lasting until 9pm on Sunday. Only Orkney remains under the yellow warning.
Rail closures and speed restrictions
Network Rail Scotland said services south and west of Kilwinning in North Ayrshire will stop from 9pm on Saturday, while the Oban and Mallaig lines will close from around 10pm. On Sunday, the line between Kyle of Lochalsh and Achnashellach in the Highlands, and the railway between Wick and Helmsdale, will be closed from the start of service.
Trains will run at reduced speeds across large parts of Scotland, with speed restrictions starting late on Saturday evening and continuing into Sunday. Restrictions will remain until winds ease, and lines will stay shut until inspected and deemed safe to reopen.
Safety warnings and public advice
Craig Gorman, head of operational weather strategy at Network Rail Scotland, said: “We know closing lines and slowing trains will have a significant impact on people’s plans this weekend, and these aren’t decisions we take lightly. But when we’re facing weather of this scale, we have to put safety first and make sensible calls before conditions deteriorate.”
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) urged the public to “stay vigilant” and avoid unnecessary risks at coastal locations. Michael Avril, RNLI regional water safety lead, said: “Storm Austen and Storm Boelo are set to bring potentially dangerous conditions so we’re asking the public to stay vigilant and not take unnecessary risks by travelling to coastal locations.”
The Met Office said: “Very strong westerly winds associated with Storm Boelo are expected, with fairly widespread gusts of 60 to 70mph and gusts to 80mph in exposed coastal areas. The strongest winds will initially affect western Scotland and the far north of Northern Ireland on Saturday evening and then spread eastwards overnight and through Sunday.”
Travel disruption and response
The Transport Scotland Resilience Room and Multi Agency Response Team will monitor conditions and co-ordinate responses across the transport network during the warning period. Superintendent Andy Barclay, deputy head of road policing for Police Scotland, said: “The amber warning for wind means there is a high risk of disruption on the road network and travel conditions may be hazardous.”
Scotland’s Transport Secretary Stephen Flynn said: “The Met Office has upgraded its warning for Storm Boelo, with disruptive winds and heavy rain expected to impact most of Scotland this weekend.”
Heavy rain is sweeping Scotland on Friday due to Storm Austen, with a yellow warning for rain in force across much of southern and eastern Scotland. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has 10 flood alerts in place on Friday. ScotRail said services to and from Aberdeen, Glasgow Central to Edinburgh, and Glasgow Central to Carlisle may face speed restrictions or cancellations. Network Rail Scotland said speed restrictions will be in place on parts of the West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line, as well as routes across southern and eastern Scotland.
