Storm Floris has brought widespread disruption to Scotland and parts of the UK, with gusts exceeding 100mph causing travel chaos, power cuts, and event cancellations. The Met Office recorded a gust of 134mph at Cairn Gorm summit, while the strongest low-level gust was 80mph at South Uist. An amber weather warning for much of Scotland remains in place until 11pm on Monday, with police advising against unnecessary travel due to danger to life.
Rail travel has been severely affected, with LNER telling passengers not to travel north of Newcastle and Avanti West Coast advising against travel north of Preston. ScotRail imposed a blanket 50mph speed restriction and stopped many services at midday. Network Rail warned that disruption could continue into Tuesday as teams clear fallen trees and debris. The Forth Bridge was closed to double-decker buses, motorcyclists, and pedestrians, while the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle was shut to all traffic.
Aviation was also hit, with 68 flights cancelled across UK airports, including 12 at Aberdeen. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo cancelled its Monday performance for the first time in 75 years due to weather, and numerous Edinburgh Fringe events were called off. Edinburgh Zoo closed at lunchtime, and school pupils in Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles face delays in receiving exam results.
Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 season and the strongest August storm since naming began in 2015. Met Office forecaster Peter Sloss described it as 'uncharted territory'. Dr Jess Neumann of the University of Reading warned that summer storms pose added risks as people are less prepared during holiday travel. Lorna Slater of the Scottish Greens linked the storm to climate change, saying such events will become more common.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks reported 22,500 properties without power in the Highlands and north-east Scotland, with more cuts expected. Director Andy Smith said it was the strongest summer storm the company had seen in a long time, mobilising a response comparable to winter operations.
