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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Jane Clinton (now) and Hamish Mackay (earlier)

London’s royal parks closed due to strong winds; Scotland hit by power cuts and travel disruption – Storm Amy as it happened

Storm Amy Scotland London Flood Ireland Network Rail Scotland the Met Office United Kingdom Highlands Met Office
Vehicles drive through flood water on the A760 in Lochwinnoch, Scotland.
Vehicles drive through flood water on the A760 in Lochwinnoch, Scotland. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Closing summary

We are now closing the live blog. Here is a recap of events. Keep safe.

  • An amber weather warning, highlighting a danger to life, is in place in the north of Scotland until 9pm on Saturday for Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar and Orkney & Shetland.

  • The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind covering the whole of the UK. A yellow rain warning is in place until midnight tonight for the Highlands & Eilean Siar.

  • Scotland is facing continued power outages, mainly in the Highlands which have been worst affected by weather. This morning Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said they were working to restore power to 62,000 people.

  • ScotRail said around 80 trees had been brought down on lines and engineers were checking routes before resuming services.

  • Rail and ferry services have been disrupted with travel operators advising people to check with their operators for cancellations or delays.

  • The environment agency has issued 6 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 24 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.

  • Major parks have been closed, including all eight of London’s royal parks.

  • Tens of thousands of properties are without power across the island of Ireland as a clean-up gets under way. By midday on Saturday, 49,000 properties were without power in the Republic of Ireland and 22,000 in Northern Ireland.

  • Some sporting fixtures in the UK were cancelled due to the weather.

  • A man in his 40s was killed in Letterkenny Co Donegal, on Friday afternoon in a weather-related incident. The incident happened at about 4.15pm.

  • A yellow wind warning is in place until midnight tonight for Central, Tayside & Fife, East Midlands, Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar, North East England, North West England, Orkney & Shetland, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders; Strathclyde, Wales and Yorkshire & Humber.

  • A yellow wind warning is in place until 7pm today for East Midlands, East of England, London & South East England, North West England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire & Humber.

  • A yellow wind warning is in place from midnight until midday tomorrow (Sunday) for Central, Tayside & Fife, Grampian, Highlands & Eilean Siar, Orkney & Shetland, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders.

  • A yellow wind warning is in place until midnight Saturday for Northern Ireland.

  • Storm Amy also wreaked havoc on Sweden, Denmark and Norway from late Friday into Saturday. Tens of thousands of homes lost power as strong gusts brought down trees and power lines throughout Scandinavia, the Associated Press reports. Heavy rainfall and high tides battered coastal areas.


The high winds also saw golf at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland suspended.

Tournament organisers announced that no further play would be possible on Saturday, with the third round now set to start on Sunday morning, PA Media reports.

Here are some images coming to us via the wires.

We have an update from the environment agency, who say the number of flood alerts has now been reduced to four.

The flood alerts, which mean flooding is expected, are in place for:

  • Keswick Campsite

  • River Ure at Boroughbridge Camping and Caravanning Site

  • The A12 at Blythburgh

  • The Suffolk coast at Southwold

There are currently 21 flood warnings in place, meaning flooding is possible, for locations including the Hunstanton coast in Norfolk, the coast from Ramsgate to Kingsdown and the Somerset coast at Porlock Weir.

The full list is here.

Network Rail has said its teams are “working around the clock” to repair extensive damage caused by Storm Amy.

It said more than 170 separate incidents have been reported so far. Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said:

Our teams are working tirelessly to assess the damage, inspect the railway, and carry out essential repairs. They’re often out in extremely challenging conditions, especially with Storm Amy still affecting parts of northern Scotland.

Safety remains our top priority. We must ensure our teams can work safely on the ground and confirm that lines are secure before passenger services can run.

We understand how disruptive this is for passengers and we’re sorry for the inconvenience. Severe weather events like Storm Amy pose a significant challenge for the railway, but we’re doing everything we can to restore services as quickly and safely as possible.

Updated

The Met Office has provided this forecast for the next few hours across the UK and Ireland:

Homes in Ireland could be without power into next week

Tens of thousands of properties are without power as a clean-up gets under way across the island of Ireland.

Irish police reported that a man died during the storm which also brought localised flooding, fallen trees, transport disruption and school closures.

The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) and NIE Networks said that there were hundreds of thousands without power across the island at the height of the storm’s impact.

That number had fallen significantly by midday on Saturday, with 49,000 without power in the Republic of Ireland. NIE Networks said 22,000 were without power at 8am.

Crews for both organisations warned it could take days before power is restored to every customer.

An ESB spokesman said the worst affected areas were in counties Donegal, Leitrim, Roscommon, Galway and Mayo.

We expect to continue to make significant progress and believe that the majority of customers who do not have their supply restored today will have power restored by tomorrow night.

However, some customers in the worst affected areas may be without power into the early part of next week.

This is likely to include some customers in Donegal, which saw the highest wind speeds recorded during Storm Amy, and in areas across the north-west.

Updated

Here is the latest update from the Irish Meteorological Service:

Yellow Wind Warning for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry. Storm Amy may lead to disruption, in place until 23.59 on Saturday.

Status Yellow - Gale warning for all coasts of Ireland and on the Irish Sea. West to northwest winds will reach gale force 8 or higher and is valid until 4pm on Saturday.

There is a small craft warning for all coasts of Ireland. Westerly winds will reach force 6 or higher, valid from 4pm to midday on Sunday 5 October.

Status Yellow - Gale warning from Slyne Head to Malin Head to Howth Head and on the Irish Sea North of Anglesey. West to northwest winds will reach gale force 8 on Irish coastal waters from Slyne Head to Malin Head to Howth Head and on the Irish Sea North of Anglesey. Valid from 4pm on Saturday to 6am on Sunday 5 October.

The Met Office has updated its yellow weather warning for northern and eastern Scotland with strong winds forecast on Sunday from midnight to midday.

Storm Amy has also been disrupting sporting fixtures, with Connacht’s rugby game against the Scarlets on Saturday postponed, PA Media reports.

A statement on the United Rugby Championship (URC) website read: “Due to major travel disruptions and flight cancellations for the Scarlets caused by Storm Amy, the fixture which was due to take place Saturday October 4 in Galway will now be postponed to a later date.”

The Scottish environment protection agency (Sepa) has issued 17 flood alerts for areas including Caithness and Sutherland, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City, West Central Scotland and Orkney, where flooding is expected. You can see the full list here.

There are also 20 flood alerts for locations including Aberfoyle and the Upper Tay, where flooding is possible.

Network Rail Scotland says more than 170 separate incidents have been reported so far, PA Media reports.

Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland, said: “Our teams are working tirelessly to assess the damage, inspect the railway, and carry out essential repairs. They’re often out in extremely challenging conditions, especially with Storm Amy still affecting parts of northern Scotland.

“Safety remains our top priority. We must ensure our teams can work safely on the ground and confirm that lines are secure before passenger services can run.

“We understand how disruptive this is for passengers and we’re sorry for the inconvenience. Severe weather events like Storm Amy pose a significant challenge for the railway, but we’re doing everything we can to restore services as quickly and safely as possible.”

Storm Amy also wreaked havoc on Sweden, Denmark and Norway from late Friday into Saturday.

Tens of thousands of homes lost power as strong gusts brought down trees and power lines throughout Scandinavia, the Associated Press reports.

Heavy rainfall and high tides battered coastal areas.

Here are some images coming to us over the wires of the effects of Storm Amy.

ScotRail says tickets dated for travel on Friday 3rd October, can be used today with ticket restrictions lifted or on Sunday 5th October.

It has posted compensation details for delays to journeys, which can be found here.

Network Rail Scotland has been posting on the ongoing clean-up operation.

Services out of Glasgow Central station have been suspended until at least 2pm on Saturday, PA Media reports.

Translink in Northern Ireland have said there are widespread disruptions across their network.

Rail services remain suspended with a phased return to service expected from midday. There are further updates here.

Belfast International Airport says delays may still be possible today and advised to check with your airline for latest flight information.

Glasgow Airport also said passengers should check the status of their flight with airlines.

Network Rail Scotland says the following services have been suspended:

  • Gourock Line

  • Wemyss Bay Line

  • Barrhead to Dumfries

  • Glasgow to Ayr

  • Glasgow to Stranraer

The network asked people to secure any loose garden furniture, sheds and trampolines, to avoid tracks being blocked by debris to keep services moving.

Thousands without power in Ireland

Around 100,000 properties were still without power as a cleanup after Storm Amy got underway across the island of Ireland on Saturday.

The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) and NIE Networks said that there were hundreds of thousands without power across the island at the height of the storm’s impact, PA Media reports.

That number had fallen to just below 100,000 before 9am on Saturday, with 22,000 without power in Northern Ireland and 87,000 in the Republic of Ireland.

Crews warned it could take days before power is restored to every customer.

NIE Networks urged the public to stay clear of any power lines or damaged electricity equipment and report sightings immediately.

At its peak, Storm Amy caused a loss of supply to approximately 65,000 customers across Northern Ireland.

As of 8.30am, 22,000 properties remained without power in the region.

Alex Houston, NIE Networks operations manager, said: “This is still an evolving picture, given the ongoing yellow alert, however we anticipate it may take a number of days before the restoration process fully concludes based on similar events such as Storm Darragh.”

All of London's royal parks closed because of strong winds

All eight of London’s royal parks, including Hyde Park and Richmond Park, will be closed on Saturday because of strong winds during Storm Amy.

In a statement on its website, the Royal Parks said:

Due to severe wind gusts caused by Storm Amy, all of the royal parks, plus Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens will be closed on Saturday October 4.

This closure includes all park roads and cycleways, cafes and kiosks, parks sports venues, the Serpentine lido and boating lake, and the royal parks shop.

It said opening times on Sunday will be delayed because of safety inspections.

The Royal Parks added:

The safety of visitors and staff is our top priority. We’re sorry for any inconvenience that these closures may cause.

Updated

CalMac Ferries said it expected many services to be disrupted on Saturday, with many routes cancelled today and into Sunday.

Scotrail said there will be “considerable disruption” to train services on Saturday.

“We’re advising customers to check their journey before they travel, via the ScotRail website, mobile app, or social media feeds,” Mark Ilderton, the ScotRail service delivery director, said.

Network Rail said the storm had a greater impact than predicted, with more than 60 incidents reported on the network during the first two hours of the storm, with “flooding, trees falling on to the overhead lines and debris on the tracks”.

The Scottish government has urged people to delay travel if they can and to check ahead before setting off.

You can find more rail updates here.

Updated

Thousands without power in Scotland

Thousands of people have been left without power after power cuts were reported in the Highlands and a number of islands, PA Media reports.

Fraser Wilson from the Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said the network was working to restore services on Saturday morning.

He said that while some people had their power restored, there were still thousands without it.

“Work will continue this morning to get 62,000 people reconnected,” he told the BBC. “We expect, because of the extent of damage to the network and conditions we are still going to be facing today, that this will take some time; this storm is not over by any means.”

Updated

The Environment Agency has issued two flood alerts where “flooding is expected” for Keswick Campsite in the Lake District and locations near the River Ure, particularly around Boroughbridge Camping and Caravanning Site in North Yorkshire.

“Avoid using low-lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses. Take care and avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water,” it advises.

There are also 16 flood warnings where “flooding is possible” in locations including the Lower River Eden in Cumbria and the Somerset coast at Porlock Weir.

You can see the full list of alerts and warnings here.

Dublin Airport says Storm Amy continues to disrupt operations this morning, leading to some cancellations and delays.

Flights which couldn’t get away yesterday will depart in this morning’s first wave, it adds.

As of 8am, around 20 flights have been cancelled by airlines, while some outbound and inbound flights “are experiencing delays as a result of the weather issues here and at other airports.”, the airport says.

“Wind speeds are due to decrease gradually through the day and most airlines expect to run full schedules. However, with further disruption possible, passengers due to fly today should keep in touch with their airline for latest updates on the status of their flight,” it adds.

Storm Amy broke records overnight, says Met Office

The Met office says the storm broke a record for low pressure overnight. It posted on X:

Storm Amy broke records overnight - Baltasound hit 947.9 hPa, provisionally the lowest October pressure ever recorded at a UK land station, beating Muckle Flugga’s 950.9 hPa in 1988.

What weather warnings are in place for Ireland?

Status Orange: Near gale force to gale force westerly winds in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo. The Irish Meteorological Service says to expect possible damage to buildings, damage to power lines and “very difficult travelling conditions”. This warning, however, expires shortly.

Status Yellow: Strong to near gale force westerly winds continuing with spells of heavy rain in Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo. The Irish Meteorological Service says to expect some flooding, travel disruption and fallen trees. This warning is in place until midday.

Status Yellow: Strong to near gale force westerly winds for a time in Dublin, Louth, Wicklow, Clare, Kerry, Galway and Mayo. The Irish Meteorological Service says to expect some travel disruption and fallen trees. This warning is in place until midday.

Updated

What UK weather warnings are currently in place?

Amber warning for wind: Covering Orkney and Shetland, Grampian and Highlands & Eilean Siar. The Met Office says to expect power cuts, damage to buildings and travel disruption. It adds that “injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties”. This warning is in place until 9pm this evening.

Yellow warning for wind: Covering the rest of the UK. The Met Office says to expect travel disruption and possible power cuts. For Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern England and parts of Wales, this warning remains in place until midnight tonight. For the rest of England and Wales, the warning ends at 7pm.

Yellow warning for rain: Covering Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, SW Scotland, Lothian Borders and Strathclyde. The Met Office says to expect flooding – possibly cutting communities off – landslides and power cuts. This warning is in place until midnight tonight.

Updated

Here are some of the latest images from across the Ireland and the UK:

The north of Scotland will face a new amber warning for “damaging” winds with gusts of more than 90mph in some areas.

Most of Scotland, apart from the east coast, will be covered by a yellow warning for rain while a yellow wind alert will be in place across the entire UK.

A building collapsed in Glasgow on Friday, falling on to a car, and leading to road closures in the city centre.

Power cuts were also reported in the Highlands and some islands – the areas facing some of the worst weather.

The Scottish government urged people to delay travel if they can and to check ahead if heading out.

On Sunday, the north, north-east, Orkney and Shetlands islands will also continue to fall under a yellow warning for wind until 9am.

Traffic Scotland reported a lengthy list of road closures due to the bad weather with the Forth Road Bridge closed in both directions, while the Skye Bridge, Queensferry Crossing and Clackmannanshire Bridge were closed to high-sided vehicles.

The Tay Road Bridge reopened early on Saturday with a 30mph speed restriction and remained closed to high-sided vehicles.

The M9 eastbound near Stirling was among many stretches of roads closed because of falling trees, while the A78 at Skelmorlie has reopened after being closed for a spell overnight because of flooding.

The M48 Severn Bridge between Gloucestershire and Wales was closed overnight because of high winds while parts of the A19 Tees Viaduct, the A66 in Cumbria and the A628 near Manchester were closed to high-sided vehicles.

Storm Amy has hit harder and faster than expected, Network Rail says

Network Rail said Storm Amy has had a greater impact than predicted, with services in and out of Glasgow Central suspended as a result of the weather event.

“Storm Amy has hit parts of the country much harder and more quickly than expected,” Network Rail said.

“We have experienced over 60 incidents on the network during the first two hours of the storm, with flooding, trees falling on to the overhead lines and debris on the tracks.

“The safety of passengers and colleagues is priority, which is why all services to and from Glasgow Central have been suspended at this time.

“We have crews out surveying damage where it is safe to do so and we will do our best to clear lines overnight, but we do expect some disruption tomorrow morning.

“We apologise to people who were wishing to travel tonight and now need to make alternative arrangements.”

Avanti West Coast warned of “short-notice changes” on Saturday and “strongly recommended” customers making journeys north of Preston to check for updates before travelling.

CalMac Ferries said it expected many services to be disrupted on Saturday and into Sunday, with many routes cancelled.

Belfast international airport said it was expecting delays on Saturday and advised passengers to check with airlines.

Updated

Man killed as Storm Amy hits UK and Ireland

A man has been killed and hundreds of thousands of homes on the island of Ireland are without power after Storm Amy brought widespread disruption.

An amber weather warning, highlighting a danger to life, was also in place in the north of Scotland until 9pm on Saturday.

There were 25 flood warnings and 17 flood alerts in place across Scotland, where high winds reportedly caused a derelict building to collapse in Glasgow. Power cuts have also been reported in the Highlands and ferry sailings, flights and trains have been cancelled.

In Ireland, power lines were damaged and hundreds of schools closed early as the first named storm of the season swept across the island.

Irish police said they were treating an incident where a man died in the Letterkenny area of County Donegal, shortly after 4.15pm, as weather-related.

The Irish government issued its highest-level wind warning in Donegal, where residents were advised to take shelter between 4pm and 6pm.

A provisional October wind gust record for Northern Ireland was set as 92mph winds were measured at Magilligan in County Derry, the Met Office said.

The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) said approximately 184,000 homes, farms and businesses across the Republic of Ireland were without power at 5.15pm. About 50,000 properties in Northern Ireland have also been left without power, NIE Networks said.

Alex Houston, NIE Networks operations manager, said: “Our incident management centre in Craigavon has been opened as have our local incident centres across Northern Ireland with staff across the company being escalated to assist with the response effort.

“We have mobilised additional call agents to deal with any queries customers may have regarding the repair process in their area.”

Updated

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