Amber wind warning
Storm Boelo is expected to bring travel disruption as strong winds and heavy rain sweep into Scotland this weekend
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for wind affecting Scotland from 21:00 on Saturday 24 October until 21:00 on Sunday 25 October. A yellow warning for wind remains in place across the whole of mainland Scotland, the Westen Isles and Orkney throughout Sunday.
Road, rail, air and ferry services are all likely to be affected by the conditions, with longer journey times and cancellations possible, as well as potential restrictions on bridges and other exposed routes. The strong winds could also lead to fallen trees, debris on roads and localised power disruptions. Police Scotland's travel advice is warning of a high risk of disruption during the amber warning period.
The Transport Scotland Resilience Room and Multi Agency Response Team will be stood up for the duration of the warning to monitor conditions and coordinate responses across the transport network. Traffic Scotland will provide updates via its website, social media channels and radio broadcasts from the National Control Centre in South Queensferry.
Travellers are advised to:
- Check the latest weather forecast before travelling.
- Check the Traffic Scotland website for updates on the trunk road network and follow transport operator channels for service updates.
- Allow extra time for journeys and be prepared for disruption.
- Follow advice issued by Police Scotland and transport operators.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport Stephen Flynn said:
The Met Office has upgraded its warning for Storm Boelo with disruptive winds and heavy rain expected to impact most of Scotland this weekend.
While the most severe conditions are expected within the amber warning area in the west of Scotland, a yellow warning remains in force across the whole country and travellers everywhere should be prepared for potential disruption.
The strong winds may lead to restrictions on some bridges and exposed routes, as well as impacts across ferry, rail and air services. Anyone planning to travel should check conditions before setting out and allow extra time for their journey.
Other modes of transport are also likely to be affected, so if you are planning to travel by train, ferry or air, please check with your operator to make sure your service is still running.
Superintendent Andy Barclay, Deputy Head of Road Policing for Police Scotland, said:
The Amber warning for wind means there is a high risk of disruption on the road network and travel conditions may be hazardous.
Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary or if it can be delayed until conditions improve. Stopping distances can be at least double on wet roads compared to dry conditions, and spray can reduce driver visibility.
HGV and bus drivers should drive with extreme caution and be aware you may be asked to park at a suitable position by the police.
If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions and allow extra time for your journey.
Stay tuned to media outlets for further updates and consult the Traffic Scotland website and social media channels for information relating to affected roads.
Pascal Lardet, SEPA’s Flood Duty Manager, said:
It’s going to be a particularly wet and windy period over Friday and the weekend across Scotland as two named storms, Storm Austen and Storm Boelo, sweep their way across the UK and bring disruption.
Sustained heavy and prolonged rain throughout Friday will lead to high river levels and possible flooding impacts quite widely across southern, central and eastern areas. This could also cause surface water flooding on roads and around properties, difficult driving conditions and disruption to travel.
The stormy weather will continue through Saturday as a band of heavy rain moves east and affect large parts of western and central Scotland with possible localised flooding, including the flooding of land, roads and individual properties. Coastal flooding impacts are also possible for western areas as large waves and rising tidal levels increase the likelihood of flooding to low-lying coastal roads and local travel disruption, in particular around the Firth of Clyde.
The weather will then turn much windier through Saturday evening as Storm Boelo moves in and brings widespread high winds and severe gales in the north of Scotland. A Met office amber weather warning for wind is now in place running between 9pm on Saturday through until 9pm on Sunday night, resulting in high waves and a risk of coastal flooding. Surface water and river flooding will remain a possibility during this time as rain continues to fall.
The flood risk will remain elevated across this weekend and into next week, so we are urging people to remain vigilant and stay up to date with the latest information by checking our flooding page and staying up to date on SEPA's website and Social Media channels.