Storm Floris live updates: Trains cancelled and 22,000 homes without power after 90mph winds hit UK – UK Times

Today’s top wind gust speeds have been recorded in Kinloss and South Uist, according to the Met Office.

Meteorologists have said winds reached 79mph in both areas, with the Tain Range experiencing gusts of 78mph.

A number of cows are on the loose in Carfin, South Lanarkshire this afternoon after a fence blew down in the wind.

Stormy weather will continue into the evening in Scotland, the Met Office has warned.

Elsewhere, showers will begin to clear with sunshine forecast before the sun goes down.

More than 22,000 properties are without electricity in the Highlands and north-east of Scotland this afternoon.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it is working to restore power to 22,500 properties while more are expected to be impacted later in the day as the storm continues to move east.

They added they have hundreds of extra staff working but it may not be able to reconnect everyone by the end of the day.

SSEN’s director of customer operations Andy Smith said: “Storm Floris is the strongest summer storm we’ve seen in a very long time and it’s causing significant disruption to power supplies today.

“At the height of summer, we’ve mounted an operation that’s comparable in size to the ones we mobilise when a storm hits during the depths of winter, but the sustained nature of these damaging winds means some affected customers may be without power overnight.”

He added: “Remember – you can report faults to us by calling 105 at any time, or via the Power Track website or app.

“And please – if you come across any network damage, stay well back and inform us immediately.”

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has reported that a pilot was forced to abandon a landing in Scotland.

An easyJet flight from Luton to Inverness flew 900 miles on an “flight to nowhere”.

Flight 632 took off from the Bedfordshire airport just before 12 noon and flew normally at 36,000 feet to the Scottish airport. But at just 2,000 feet above the ground, the pilots of the Airbus A319 decided to abandon the landing, and flew back to Luton. After a total of 2 hours and 25 minutes in the air, the plane touched down back at its starting place.

Passengers were told: “Strong winds in Inverness are preventing aircraft from arriving and departing. The safety of you and our crew is our highest priority and we thank you for your understanding.”

Under air passengers’ rights rules, travellers must be flown to their destination as soon as possible on any airline.

The aviation data analyst, Cirium, has confirmed research by The Independent that Belfast City and Aberdeen are the airports worst affected by Storm Floris.

At Belfast City, 10 departures and 11 arrivals have been grounded. At Aberdeen, 12 departures have been cancelled – but only six arrivals are axed.

There will be delays to the delivery of some exam results in island communities as a result of Storm Floris, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has said.

With results due on Tuesday, the SQA said deliveries to the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland will be delayed due to the adverse weather.

The SQA said students should contact their school or college in the first instance who should be able to help them.

Passengers stuck at Glasgow Central train station are facing hours of disruption and as many as nine cancellations, they told the PA news agency.

Robert Kusz, 70, and Paul Audoire, 59, had enjoyed a caravan holiday with relatives when they were delayed at Glasgow Central.

Their previous plan was to travel to Preston and change to Blackpool.

Mr Kusz told the PA news agency: “There has been about nine cancellations.

“If we can get connecting trains we could get to Blackpool by 4.30pm.

“It will add a couple of hours to the journey, maybe two-and-a-half hours.”

Mr Audoire said: “The weather is not as bad as we thought, they are just taking precautions.

“We need to get off at Carlisle, wait for another train, get off at Preston and change trains again.

“I don’t know how long we need to wait at Carlisle or at Preston. It’s just a case of leapfrogging all the way.”

Wind gusts have now reached 80mph in South Uist, according to BBC News – slightly higher than the earlier recording of 79mph on the island.

Video footage shows the moment a plane struggled to land at Leeds Bradford Airport during Storm Floris.

Passengers travelling on trains across the north of England and Scotland are facing ongoing disruptions due to strong wind gusts.

Pictures show passengers at Manchester Piccadilly Station as National Rail continue to advise against travel north of Preston.