Weather warnings come into force with severe travel disruption expected

Weather warnings are coming into force with Storm Floris expected to cause severe travel disruption.

A yellow warning for wind for northern parts of the UK became active at 6am on Monday and will last until 6am on Tuesday.

The warnings have been upgraded to amber for much of Scotland, lasting from 10am to 10pm.

Train operator LNER has told passengers not to travel north of Newcastle while Avanti West Coast has advised passengers not to travel north of Preston, warning it will be “heavily impacted” by the weather.

The storm could also disrupt road, air and ferry services, and close bridges.

Much of Scotland will be battered by heavy rain and winds of up to 85mph, the Met Office said.

Some trains and ferry services have already been cancelled with more likely to be affected.

Western coastal areas are expected to bear the brunt of the storm although strong winds and rain will likely lead to disruption at Edinburgh’s festivals.

Network Rail said several lines will be closed from 12pm on Monday, with all other routes experiencing a reduced timetable and longer journey times.

Edinburgh – Fife/Perth/Dundee, Perth – Dundee/Aberdeen/Inverness and the West Highland Line are among the routes that will close at noon.

Ferry operator CalMac has also issued a series of cancellations ahead of the storm.

Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: “Across the warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60-70mph more likely at higher elevations and around exposed coasts in Scotland.

“There is a small chance that some locations here could even record gusts of 85mph.”

The strongest winds will most likely affect Scotland on Monday afternoon and night but “there remains some uncertainty in the depth and track of Floris”, a spokesperson added.

“Winds will first ease in the west during later Monday but remaining very strong overnight until early Tuesday in the east.

“Heavy rain may also contribute to the disruption in places.”

The warning zone covers Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales and the north of England.

Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 naming season, which runs from early September to late August. January’s Storm Eowyn was the most recent.