Police warning as 'multiple' campervans blown over in Storm Floris
An amber weather warning is covering the central belt to the north coast from 10am to 10pm, with the Met Office predicting wind speeds of up to 90mph.
Reports on social media say that a campervan has been seen blown onto its side at Drum na Cloich, on the A87 on Skye – and a second near to the Old Man of Storr north of Portree.
Police have further advised all motorists not to travel on the Bealach na Ba pass – a popular tourist route on the Applecross peninsula famed for its dramatic scenery.
A spokesperson for the force said: 'We have received multiple reports of campervans being blown over on the A87 between Broadford and Portree due to high winds caused by Storm Floris.
'We are advising motorists not to travel on the Bealach na Ba road and anyone with campervans should remain parked in sheltered areas until the wind speed reduces.'
The A82 south of Fort William is facing disruption due to fallen trees, as is the A96 between Huntly and Inverurie in Aberdeenshire.
Speaking on Monday morning, Scottish Government minister Angela Constance said it is 'imperative' that people follow advice as Storm Floris hits.
Constance told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland news programme: 'Storm Floris is well and truly with us today and it's imperative that people follow advice because there will be significant disruption on our travel network.'
The minister added: 'If you have an elderly relative or neighbour who may be a wee bit vulnerable, please be a good neighbour, be friendly, just check they're alright.'
She said anyone who has to travel is likely to face disruption and should plan ahead, adding: 'Consider this a winter journey as opposed to a summer journey.
'Please make sure you've got warm clothes, food, water, plenty of fuel and that your mobile phone is charged up.'
Western coastal areas are expected to bear the brunt of the storm, although strong winds and rain will lead to disruption at Edinburgh's festivals.
On Sunday night, the Royal [[Edinburgh]] Military Tattoo said it had cancelled its Monday show due to the storm. A ceilidh event on Princes Street Gardens has also been cancelled.
Network Rail said several lines will be closed from 12pm on Monday, with all other routes experiencing a reduced timetable and longer journey times.
Ferry operator CalMac has also cancelled a number of sailings on Monday.
Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 naming season, which runs from early September to late August. January's Storm Eowyn was the most recent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
42 minutes ago
- North Wales Live
Lucky escape for drivers as falling tree closes key route in Gwynedd
A main trunk road in Gwynedd was closed when a tree fell onto a car during Storm Floris. North Wales Police (NWP) shut down the A497 near Porthmadog after getting reports of a collision. Drivers were asked to avoid the Treflys area between Porthmadog and Criccieth on Monday evening, August 4. A fallen tree had straddled the road near the railway bridge close to Wern Manor, a section of the road lined by woodland. A photo posted online showed vans and cars in close proximity, with drivers milling around and assessing the damage. The NWP Gwynedd South team warned the emergency services were in attendance but no injuries were reported. The incident occurred around 5pm when the worst of Storm Floris had blown over. However conditions remained very windy in the region, with gusts of 64mph having been recorded in Aberdaron and Capel Curig earlier in the day. Online, drivers reported seeing vehicles trying to reverse to get clear of the blockage. The road was reopened around an hour later. A NWP spokesperson said: 'At 5.08pm we received a report a tree had fallen on the A497 in Treflys, Porthmadog, which struck a car. "No injuries were reported. The road was cleared by 6.13pm.' Neither the Welsh Ambulance Service nor the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene. Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday
Edinburgh Live
2 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh graves damaged by fallen tree as capital assesses damage of Storm Floris
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Edinburgh Live breaking news on WhatsApp Storm Floris caused damage across the capital as high winds battered Edinburgh with an amber weather warning in place. Sadly a local cemetery fell victim to the chaotic weather with a fallen tree damaging two headstones in the west of the city. On Monday August 4, locals shared their concerns after a large tree could be seen lying on top of several headstones in Corstorphine Hill Cemetery. An Edinburgh Council team is understood to have travelled to the site to examine the destruction and efforts have been made to contact the impacted families. Cllr Margaret Graham, culture and communities convener said: 'Our teams are out assessing damaged caused by recent Storm Floris. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sentstraight to your messages. "Unfortunately, there is one tree down in Corstorphine Hill cemetery which has damaged two headstones. "We are attempting to contact families and are hopeful we will be able to carry out repairs quickly.' Edinburgh Live reported how Storm Floris caused chaos for those across the central belt, with trains cancelled and delayed due to fierce winds. The amber weather warning was in place across Monday 4 and Tuesday August 5. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox The intense weather became so problematic that a flight arriving from London Gatwick at Edinburgh Airport had to return to the English capital after two failed landing attempts. The Forth Road bridge and Queensferry Crossing were closed to high vehicles while the Tyne Bridge in East Lothian was closed to all vehicles.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Rare cloud formation spotted during Storm Floris
A rare and striking cloud formation has been photographed over is a thick, wave-like pattern which was only added to official lists in recent Webster, a keen photographer of natural phenomena, captured the spectacle over Long Eaton as Storm Floris swept across the UK on said: "It was super eye-catching. It was just something I had never seen before." Mr Webster added: "I am an astronomer and I keep an eye on what is going on up there."I like nature at its most extreme. I like going out to see the volcanoes in Iceland, or when there is a thunderstorm, I'll do my best to safely witness that."My motivation lies in the awesome, almost incomprehensible power of nature."Humans, no matter how hard we try, could never compare to the power that made those clouds." Meteorologist Kaye Forster said: "Asperitas clouds are fairly rare and newly recognised clouds. "They were officially named by the World Meteorological Organisation in 2017 and are spotted in the UK only a few times a year."It is not fully understood how these clouds are formed but like any 'wave-like' clouds they take their shape by vertical, up-and-down motions in the atmosphere, such as gravity waves. "They need an unstable atmosphere where the air can rise and fall quickly, allowing rapid change. "So it is no wonder that these clouds were formed around Storm Floris on Monday, when the atmosphere was very volatile."
