Work to restore power to thousands as Storm Floris moves on from Scotland
Work is also under way to clear trees from several railway lines which were blocked by the storm.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it had restored power to 50,000 properties since the onset of the high winds.
The company said: 'Now the winds have died down and moved into the North Sea, it's become safer for our field teams to get to faults on the network, although strong gusts are still forecast for today and we'll be monitoring the forecast closely.
'Our teams worked for as long as the light permitted last night and were deployed again early this morning, with the support of helicopters to assess the network from above.
'This has been a particularly damaging storm and we'll be working hard to reconnect customers as safely and quickly as we can – but it will take time.'
The company, which is the network operator for northern Scotland, said it had organised meal provision in some of the affected communities.
On Tuesday morning, Network Rail said it had reopened 30 out of 34 routes in Scotland.
It said: 'We've dealt with hundreds of fallen trees overnight, with our response and maintenance working in teams to cover as much ground as possible.
'Our control-room team continue to co-ordinate the response on the lines which remain closed.'
ScotRail said some routes in the north are still facing disruption.
On Monday night, the Scottish Government's resilience room held an emergency meeting to help decide an appropriate response to the storm, which has also led to delays in exam results being delivered to pupils in some island communities.
Ministers including Angela Constance were joined by representatives from the Met Office, Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, Sepa and transport and utilities companies.
Trunk road companies are continuing to remove fallen trees and debris from roads.
The storm left debris hanging from a gantry over the Kingston Bridge in central Glasgow on Monday.
The Government said there have been 119 incidents on the rail network caused by Storm Floris, including 75 tree-related ones.
With winds of up to 90mph in some parts of the country, a significant clear-up job will be required to inspect lines and carry out repair work before it is safe to restore a full service.
More wet and windy weather is forecast for late on Wednesday and Thursday, but no Met Office weather warnings are in place for Tuesday.
ScotRail is urging customers to check their journey via the app, website or JourneyCheck before they travel.
On X, Network Rail said it has 'worked closely with all train operators' to co-ordinate the railway's response to the storm.
The railway operator said: 'We've been working around the clock to keep services moving today.
'Our teams will continue inspecting routes for #StormFloris damage overnight, but this will continue into Tuesday morning.'
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: 'While the system later this week won't carry as many impacts as Storm Floris, a further period of unseasonable wet and windy weather is on the way late on Wednesday and into Thursday for those in north-western parts of the UK.
'An area of low pressure from the west will bring some strong winds, especially for those in western parts of Scotland.
'Gusts over 50mph are possible for a time. Some heavy rain will also accompany the strong winds, with up to 30mm possible.'
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BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Why weather forecasters often get it wrong
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Great accuracy - and great expectations Part of the challenge is around expectations, which have risen in our world of round-the-clock access to can tweak the temperature of our fridge or identify a problem in our car from our smartphones in a fraction of a second. So why can't we find out whether it's going to rain on our street at 2pm on Sunday with 100% accuracy - surely, an easier feat? Another part of the challenge is how that wealth of information is boiled down and produces an overwhelming amount of data; it's difficult to condense it into a snappy, TV or digital app-friendly prediction. It means that even when we are technically correct, some viewers might still end up the answer also lies in the tricky nature of meteorology. It's a delicate science, and any tiny inaccuracy in the data can skew things - or knock it out of shape. Every day, across the British Isles, forecasters collect "observations" (or data) on things like temperature and wind speed, through a network of more than 200 "weather stations" run by the Met Office. The data is then plugged into mathematical models run by powerful machines, or "supercomputers". Earlier this year the Met Office unveiled a new supercomputer, switching for the first time from a physical machine to cloud-based new device will deliver "better forecasts and help scientists advance important climate research around the world", the Met Office as with any science, there are weaknesses. Chaos Theory: when weather goes wrong The atmosphere is known as a "chaotic system", meaning that a slight error - even as small as 0.01C - in the initial observations can produce a drastically different result."It's called Chaos Theory," explains Prof Bentley. "Or the Butterfly Effect. 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The trouble with boiling down data The biggest challenge of my job is synthesising this data so it fits into a tight television segment. "There's no other science as tested, checked and judged by the general public," says Scott Hosking, a director of environmental forecasting at the Alan Turing Institute."It's as complex as nuclear fusion physics, but most of us don't experience that day to day, and so we don't have to come up with a way to communicate that science to the public." It's also easy to forget that forecasting is just that - the years, we've gotten a lot better at this subtle art of "communicating uncertainty". Meteorologists now produce "ensemble forecasts", where they might run 50 different models, all with slight variations. If all of those scenarios point to a similar outcome, meteorologists can be confident they've got it right. If they produce different outcomes, then their confidence is much is why, on a weather app, you might see a 10% chance of rain in your area. 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"Do you put something on [a weather app] that says, 'If you're planning a barbecue, then you might want to do it at lunchtime because the chances are you're going to get washed out in the afternoon'?"This chimes with a trend I've noticed from my own career: a growing interest in understanding the science behind the weather. Viewers are no longer just interested in knowing whether there'll be a heatwave; they want to know the reason we publish more content explaining the physics of the aurora borealis, or why climate change is leading to bigger for AI, it certainly could improve accuracy - but there's a risk, also, that viewers become deluged by information. Dr Hosking says that because AI is more nimble and can tweak weather models more quickly, users will soon have access to frequently-changing forecasts. They may also have "much more localised" information, he says (perhaps giving data not just on your town, but on your back garden, other analysts predict).This could lead to an overwhelming amount of data for those using the app, gluing users to their smartphones. And in that world, it will become even more important for human forecasters to communicate the weather in a clear, understandable there are upsides too - not least the prospect of much longer-term, more accurate forecasts. Perhaps one day, when a mother asks me to predict weather at her son's wedding six months from now, I might be able to give a slightly better reporting: Luke Mintz BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.
Times
4 hours ago
- Times
Big rise in UK bosses warning of extreme weather effects
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The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Our garden is being flooded due to HUGE trees next door… but council won't do a thing to stop it
A HOMEOWNER is begging her council to cut down a set of huge trees which are allegedly causing her garden to become flooded. According to the resident, she is yet to hear back from her council as the country braces for the incoming Storm Floris. 6 6 6 Kerri Miles told the Bournemouth Echo that water flooded into her garden on Thursday afternoon, after Dibden, Hampshire, was hit by a heavy downpour. She believes that the massive influx of water was supported by tree roots and leaves blocking the drainage system in Cheviot Drive. As the water rushed into her garden on July 31, Kerri put on her wellington boots and went outside to assess the extent of the damage. Kerri said: 'I opened my back gate, and the water came rushing through into the garden. 'I was stood right above the drain and the water was up to my ankles, that is how deep it was. 'The lack of action is frustrating, and we have always paid our council tax and these trees desperately need sorting out. 'It is going to get to the point where our gardens flood even more, or a large branch from a tree will come down on one of us and it will be fatal. 'If the council was using our money properly we would not have these issues. 'We are not asking for the trees to be uplifted completely, we just want them to be maintained.' She says that inaction over maintaining the trees has fuelled the problem. According to Kerri, tree roots were found by her husband in her drains. She said: 'When my family and I moved in around 15 years ago, the council would come round and trim the trees. 'But in the last 10 years we have had nothing, and the trees are now overgrown. 'My husband Phillip is a plumber and has cleaned out our drains before to unblock them and he found tree roots inside. 'We have been told there can't be roots in the drains, but that paired with the fallen leaves are causing the area to flood when the rain is heavy.' The Sun has approached Hythe and Dibden Parish Council, New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council for comment. The news comes as the country prepares for the incoming Storm Floris, which is set to bring 85mph winds. A yellow weather warning has been issued for Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland and north Wales. It will be in place from 6am Monday until 6am Tuesday and residents have been warned of a 'danger to life'. Matthew Lehnert, a Met Office Chief Meteorologist, said: 'Across the warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60-70mph more likely at higher elevations and around exposed coasts in Scotland. "There is a small chance that some locations here could even record gusts of 85mph.' A spokesperson for the weather agency added on X: "Storm Floris has been named. "Unseasonably strong winds, gales in the north, locally severe and accompanied by heavy rain. Disruption possible." 6 6
