Storm Floris has brought gusts of over 100mph to parts of the UK, causing travel chaos, power cuts, and the cancellation of major events. Central and northern Scotland were the worst affected on Monday, with the Met Office recording a gust of 134mph at Cairn Gorm summit. Away from mountains, the strongest gust was 80mph at South Uist.
An amber weather warning for wind remains in place across much of Scotland until 11pm Monday, with police advising against unnecessary travel. Yellow warnings cover southern Scotland, Northern Ireland, parts of north Wales, and northern England until midnight. The Met Office described the storm as 'uncharted territory' for August, as it is the strongest named storm to occur in that month since the naming system began in 2015.
Rail travel was severely disrupted, 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 analytics firm Cirium reported 68 flight cancellations from 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 Festival Fringe events were also called off. Edinburgh Zoo closed at lunchtime due to escalating wind speeds.
Power cuts affected thousands, with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) working to restore supply to 22,500 properties in the Highlands and north-east Scotland. SSEN's director of customer operations, Andy Smith, said Floris was the strongest summer storm seen in a very long time. Lorna Slater, Scottish Green co-leader, said the storm highlighted the need for urgent action on climate change, warning that such events will become more common.
Dr Jess Neumann, associate professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, noted that summer storms pose added dangers as people are less prepared during holiday travel. Police reported several campervans blown over on the A87 road to the Isle of Skye. School pupils in Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles were warned of delays to exam results delivery.
