Storm Amy Scotland: The weather today as Storm Amy sweeps across the country

The Met Office upgraded its alert to amber on Thursday for large swathes of Scotland, with power cuts, road closures and flooding likely in affected areas.

When and where will Storm Amy hit?

The amber warning is in place from 5pm on Friday until 9am Saturday.

It covers the regions of Grampian, Moray, the Highlands, Orkney and Shetland and Strathclyde, with a risk of danger to life.

Those living in parts of the Highlands and Western Isles have been warned of a “danger to life” from flying debris, potential power cuts as well as road closures and damage to buildings.

Meanwhile, a yellow weather warning for wind is in place across the whole of Scotland from 3pm on Friday until 11.59pm on Saturday.

A long strip of Scotland running from Dumfries up to the northern-most part of the mainland is also under a yellow rain warning from 12pm on Friday to 3pm on Saturday.

The Met Office warned of gusts up to 70mph will be felt “fairly widely” while “more exposed areas” could see winds of up to 95mph along with spells of heavy rain across the country.

The forecaster said: “Storm Amy is expected to bring a spell of strong winds to many parts of northern and western Britain later on Friday and overnight into Saturday.

“South to southwesterly winds will increase during Friday, initially in the west before extending eastwards during Friday night.

“Gusts of 50-60 mph are likely in many areas, and may reach 60-70 mph in more exposed parts.

“The strongest winds are most likely across portions of northern and western Scotland, where gusts in excess of 90 mph are possible – this is covered by a separate Amber warning for the Friday night period.”

Rail disruption expected

ScotRail said that several railway lines in northern Scotland will close from 6pm on Friday due to the conditions, while speed restrictions will be in place on all other routes from 7pm.

The train operator is advising customers to plan ahead and check their journeys before travelling on Friday.

It said some lines will close from 6pm on Friday due to forecast wind gusts and heavy rain, with no replacement transport.

The affected routes are Mallaig to Fort William, Fort William to Crianlarich, Inverness to Aberdeen, Inverness to Wick/Thurso, Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and Perth to Inverness.

It said that on all other routes, speed restrictions will be introduced from 7pm until the end of service, to ensure the safety of customers and staff.

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: “Safety is always our top priority, and we’re working closely with our colleagues at Network Rail to keep people moving where it’s safe to do so.

“The Met Office amber warning for high winds during Storm Amy means that some routes will have to close, and speed restrictions will be in place across Scotland’s Railway.

“We know how frustrating disruption can be, but these measures are essential to protect our customers and staff.”

The train operator anticipates that some disruption to services will extend into Saturday, and possibly Sunday, while Network Rail carries out safety checks for obstructions on the line and damage to any infrastructure.

Difficult driving conditions

The Met Office has warned of difficult driving conditions at the weekend, especially for high sided vehicles on prone routes, such as crosswinds on exposed or high level routes.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Motorists will face difficult driving conditions, so it’s vital people plan ahead if they have to travel to see if their route is impacted by the weather.

“Travellers should check the latest information before they set off, drive to the conditions and follow Police Scotland travel advice. The Traffic Scotland website and X/twitter account are updated regularly, and they also have details of any ‘wind based’ closures for the bridges.

“The conditions are likely to lead to disruption on other modes of transport too, so we are urging people planning to travel on trains, ferries and flights to contact their operators to find out if their service is affected.”

Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, head of Road Policing, said:

“I would encourage people to drive to the conditions and be aware of increased stopping distances.

“In wet weather, stopping distances will be at least double those required for stopping on dry roads.

“Drivers of vehicles vulnerable to being blown over should plan their route to avoid exposed areas or consider cancelling your journey until conditions improve.”

The Met Office is also urging drivers in affected areas should travel with essentials such as warm clothing, food, water, a blanket and a torch.