High winds could pose a danger to life across parts of the UK on Monday, the Met Office has warned, as it upgraded the threat rating of Storm Floris from yellow to amber for Scotland.
The storm, which was officially named on Friday, is expected to hit Britain early on Monday morning. The Met Office issued warnings of potential “injuries and danger to life” as a result of “large waves and beach material being thrown on to sea fronts, coastal roads and properties” and “flying debris”.
The amber warning has been issued from 10am until 10pm on Monday, with yellow warnings still in effect in Northern Ireland and across northern England between 6am and midnight the same day.
Severe travel delays are also expected throughout the UK owing to potential debris caused by the storm.
The Met Office warned there would be a “spell of unusually strong west or northwesterly winds to much of Scotland”, with the chief operational meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert, stating that “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.”
Lenhert also warned there is “a small chance that some locations here could even record gusts of 85mph,” with such winds strong enough to break windows, damage roofs and uproot trees.
On top of the strong winds, heavy rain is expected to come from the west, hitting Ireland before reaching Great Britain and covering most of Scotland, northern Wales and northern England, as some areas such as the Highlands and Lake District are expected to receive heavy showers of between 16 and 32mm of rainfall in the space of an hour.
Severe travel delays are expected, with rail travel particularly affected by storms owing to the dangers that debris on the tracks can cause. National Rail have warned commuters to be aware it is “likely that speed restrictions will be in place and your journey may take longer”, with disruptions and cancellations possible.
Other modes of transport are also expected to be affected. Ferries operating on the west coast of Britain, such as those going between the Scottish mainland and the Western Isles, are cancelling services, with the Scottish ferry operator CalMac confirming a series of cancellations.
Road travel will also be affected, with motorists told to take extra care during the storm. In a statement, the AA encouraged anyone who insisted on travelling on Monday to do so with care, including allowing extra time for their journey, being careful of other cars and looking out for branches and debris on the roads.
Storm Floris is the sixth named storm to hit Britain during the 2024-25 naming season, which runs from early September to late August, and the first since January’s Storm Éowyn, which caused three casualties and over a million power outages across Britain, Ireland and Norway.
