Amber and yellow weather warnings in place as Storm Ashely batters the UK

The Met Office has issued yellow and amber severe weather warnings for wind and rain on Sunday, which is battering parts of the UK.

Storm Ashely is tracking north eastwards across the UK and on Sunday and Monday there could be disruption due to strong winds and heavy rain.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Willington, said, “We could see disruption today and tomorrow, particularly across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England and West Wales, due to the very strong winds and heavy rain associated with Storm Ashley.

“In addition, the strong winds will coincide with high spring tides, which brings the risk of flooding, especially around the coasts of northern and western Scotland and the northern Irish Sea.”

“On Sunday, gusts of 60-70 mph are possible across the west of Northern Ireland and perhaps as high as 70-80 mph in exposed parts of western Scotland. Elsewhere within the warning areas, gusts of 50-60 mph will be more typical. It will remain very blustery into Monday morning across the northern half of the UK after which time winds will ease off.”

“It is important that people stay up to date with the latest forecast and our warnings.”

Head of Transport Resilience at Transport Scotland, Ashleigh Robson, said, “Storm Ashley is set to bring widespread disruption for travel on Sunday and into Monday. Passengers should certainly check with their operator, and with some families off enjoying the October school holidays, we would advise them to play close attention to any cross-border travel updates too.

“The Multi Agency Response Team will be in position to take decisions, oversee the network, and advise the public and update Ministers over the weekend as the storm sweeps into parts of Scotland.

“The strong winds may cause particular difficulties for HGVs and we would urge drivers to take note of the conditions, debris on the roads and trees falling onto some roads is a strong possibility. The forecasted rain will make visibility difficult when driving and could result in some localised flooding.

“Disruption on ferry services is very likely, rail services and flights may also be impacted. Please check with you transport operator for the latest information. The decision to cancel services is never taken lightly, but safety of passengers has to be the priority. Please plan ahead. The latest information on the trunk road network is always available at www.traffic.gov.scot.”