Tens of thousands of homes remain without power after Storm Floris battered parts of Scotland and northern England with destructive winds and heavy rain, causing widespread travel disruption and damage.
Around 22,000 properties in the north and north-east of Scotland are still waiting to be reconnected, after more than 32,000 homes were plunged into darkness on Monday.
Gusts reached an extreme 124mph in the Scottish Highlands, grounding dozens of flights and bringing chaos to rail, road and ferry services.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has restored power to 50,000 properties since the storm struck, with engineers now able to reach damaged areas as winds move into the North Sea. Field teams, supported by helicopters, are working to assess and repair the network, though the company warns it will take time due to the scale of the damage. Meal provisions are being set up in some of the hardest-hit communities.
Network Rail confirmed that 30 of 34 routes in Scotland have now reopened, after crews cleared hundreds of fallen trees from the tracks overnight. However, some northern lines remain closed, with ScotRail urging passengers to check their journey before travelling. In total, 119 rail incidents have been linked to the storm, including 75 involving fallen trees.
Road networks are also facing significant disruption, with trunk road operators working to remove debris and repair damage. In Glasgow, debris from the storm was left hanging from a gantry over the Kingston Bridge, while several island communities have experienced delays in receiving exam results.
The Scottish Government’s resilience room held an emergency meeting on Monday night, with ministers joined by key agencies including the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland and utility providers to coordinate the response.
Although Tuesday brings calmer weather, forecasters warn of further wet and windy conditions later this week. An incoming low-pressure system from the west is expected to bring gusts of over 50mph to parts of western Scotland on Wednesday and Thursday, along with heavy rainfall of up to 30mm.
Storm Floris is one of the most powerful storms to hit the UK in recent years, striking just months after a run of extreme weather events and prompting renewed concerns over the country’s resilience to severe storms.
