Scots Easyjet flight forced to land 442 miles away after gale force winds hit plane
An Easyjet plane was forced to land 442 miles away from Edinburgh Airport due to winds brought by Storm Floris.
The passenger flight from London Gatwick to Edinburgh was unable to land twice and ended up aborting the landing.
The EZY254E service left Gatwick at 3.30pm and was due to land in the capital around 4.50pm. But the Airbus A319 ran into serious difficulty on approach.
The pilot made two separate attempts to land the jet safely, but was forced to abort both times as wind speeds hit a staggering 100mph.
The aircraft was then diverted all the way back to Gatwick, a journey of 372 miles, where it eventually landed at 6.37pm.
Storm Floris brought widespread disruption to travel across Scotland yesterday as an amber Met Office alert warned of a danger to life from high winds, rough seas and flying debris.
Flights at both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports were grounded as the wild weather swept in.
Loganair was forced to cancel a number of early morning departures, including flights to Islay, Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra.
Ferry services on Scotland's west coast were also thrown into turmoil.
Several CalMac sailings have been disrupted, while some have been cancelled altogether.
Meanwhile, on the rails, services were cancelled. ScotRail and Network Rail axed hundreds of trains, with around 800 services cancelled by the morning rush alone.
Passengers were warned that no trains would run after midday on certain busy lines, with all routes north of Perth suspended due to the storm.
The West Highland Line and routes through Fife were badly hit, while other services were forced to run on a reduced timetable with extended journey times.
ScotRail confirmed that drivers were instructed not to exceed 50mph due to the "extremely intense" conditions.
Network Rail teams are expected to inspect affected lines once the storm has passed, but commuters were told to expect disruption until at least 4pm today.
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On the roads, strong gusts brought down trees in several areas, forcing closures and diversions.
The A96 was shut in both directions near Old Rayne, Aberdeenshire, after falling debris blocked the route.
Police warned motorists to steer clear of the area and use alternative routes between Huntly and Inverurie.
Officers also urged drivers to avoid the Bealach na Ba road on the Applecross peninsula, and advised campervan owners to remain in sheltered areas until the wind dropped.
Storm Floris is the first named storm to batter Scotland since Storm Eowyn back in January.
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an hour ago
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BA plane tries to land in Aberdeen amid Storm Floris before returning to London
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Glasgow Times
2 hours ago
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Hundreds of trees cleared from Scotland's railways after Storm Floris
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