An amber weather warning remains in force on Monday as Storm Floris continues to cause widespread disruption across the UK, leaving thousands of households without power. The Met Office recorded peak wind speeds of 79mph on the Scottish island of South Uist, with dozens of train services cancelled.
The amber warning for wind covers most of Scotland and will remain in place until 11pm, with the Met Office warning of a 'danger to life' due to flying debris, travel chaos, and power cuts. A yellow wind warning for Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England, and northern Wales is due to be lifted at 11.59pm.
In Ireland, around 10,000 homes lost power, largely in the north west region. ESB Networks described the impact as 'modest and in line with previous such wind warnings'. Network Rail Scotland reported disruption on central belt routes, with gusts exceeding 90mph in some areas.
Flights have been disrupted, with a Luton to Inverness flight forced to turn back due to heavy winds in Scotland. Belfast and Aberdeen airports were worst affected, with numerous departures and arrivals cancelled. A fresh yellow warning for wind will come into effect for the Orkney Islands at midnight, with gusts of 50 to 70mph expected.
Heavy rain is also forecast, with potential transport disruption. Met Office chief meteorologist Dan Suri said: 'Much of Scotland is likely to see gusts of 50 to 70mph with more than 80mph on some exposed coasts, hills and bridges.' The storm has already disrupted road, rail, air, and ferry services, and led to bridge closures.
Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-2025 season, following Éowyn in January. It comes after the driest spring in over a century and three heatwaves in quick succession, with June being the warmest month on record.
