A rapidly deepening North Atlantic low dubbed Storm Floris is lashing northern Britain with unseasonably strong winds, prompting the UK Met Office to issue an amber warning for most of Scotland from 10:00 to 23:00 BST on Monday. The agency says gusts could reach 80-90 mph (up to 145 km/h) on exposed coasts and high ground, with widespread inland speeds of 50-70 mph and heavy rain. Yellow wind warnings cover Northern Ireland, north Wales, northern England and parts of Scotland for the rest of Monday, followed by a further alert for Orkney and Shetland early Tuesday. Forecasters warn of a ‘danger to life’ from flying debris, large coastal waves and falling trees, and advise the public to stay indoors where possible. Travel disruption is already extensive. London North Eastern Railway has canceled all trains north of Newcastle, while ScotRail imposed a 50 mph speed limit and closed several lines. Major Scottish bridges—including the Forth and Tay crossings—are shut to high-sided vehicles, and Transport Scotland urged motorists to treat journeys as if it were mid-winter. Air and sea links are also affected: Loganair grounded flights to island destinations from Glasgow, services at Belfast City Airport were canceled, and several ferry crossings were scrapped. Organisers of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo called off Monday night’s outdoor performance, citing safety concerns. The Met Office expects the worst winds to shift east during the afternoon and ease overnight, but lingering rain and transport backlogs are likely to disrupt travel into Tuesday. Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 season and one of the strongest summer systems to hit the UK in recent years.
A narrow band of intense rain is currently making it's way southeastwards across parts of England and Wales, some short-lived tricky travelling conditions are possible 🌧️ https://t.co/x1neLPZP84
Storm Floris batters Scotland with 145 km/h winds, disrupts travel and festivals https://t.co/4ER0dtNmEx https://t.co/zjSdi4Ctym
Car crushed by falling tree in Storm Floris’ havoc with 90mph ‘danger to life’ wind to hit https://t.co/u7Uexp8hbs