An Amber National Severe Weather Warning for wind is in force until 23.00 on Monday and covers much of Scotland and has been extended to include Orkney.
A wider Yellow warning for wind is in force through today for the northern half of the UK, including north Wales, northern England and Northern Ireland. This warning for most expires at the end of Monday, though the Northern Isles have a further Yellow wind warning through to 8.00 on Tuesday.
Dan Suri is a Met Office Chief Meteorologist said, “Much of Scotland is likely to see gusts of 50-70mph with more than 80mph on some exposed coasts, hills and bridges.
“Western coastal areas will see the highest gusts late morning, with the strongest winds transferring to northeastern Scotland by late afternoon.
“Across the wider Yellow warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60mph likely at higher elevations and around some exposed coasts.”
Storm Floris is an unusually strong storm for the time of year, with only two Amber wind warnings having previously been issued in August since the Met Office introduced our impact-based warnings in 2011. Some sites in Scotland are likely to break their August wind gust records today.
Warnings highlight potential transport disruption, as well as particularly hazardous conditions on immediate coastlines.
Martin Thomson from Transport Scotland said, “Storm Floris is now with us, so it’s important that people plan ahead when it comes to travel for the rest of the day.
“The high winds and rain will impact the transport network. Expect disruption on roads and bridges, with conditions likely to be particularly difficult for high-sided vehicles.
“Traffic Scotland will be providing regular updates on the trunk road network throughout the amber and yellow warning periods via their website, X/Twitter account and radio broadcasts.
“Rail, ferry and aviation services will also be subject to cancellation, delay or speed restrictions, so please check with your operator before you set off to see how your service is affected.”
