Storm Amy Causes Widespread Damage and Power Outages Across Scotland
Storm Amy swept across Scotland overnight, leaving widespread damage and causing significant disruption. As of Saturday, 42,000 homes remain without power. Network Rail reported that the storm hit "much harder and more quickly" than expected, despite prior warnings from the Met Office.
Impact on Infrastructure and Travel
The storm brought down trees, caused flooding, and left debris blocking railway lines. Network Rail Scotland reported over 170 incidents, with 60 occurring in the first two hours of the storm. Several lines in northern Scotland were closed in advance, but the severity of the storm forced the closure of all lines out of Glasgow and routes in southern Scotland on Friday evening.
"Our teams are working tirelessly to assess the damage, inspect the railway. Safety remains our top priority. We must ensure our teams can work safely on the ground and confirm that lines are secure before passenger services can run." - Ross Moran, route director at Network Rail Scotland.
Travel was significantly affected. All ScotRail services out of Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street low level were suspended until lunchtime on Saturday. CalMac's west coast ferry network experienced delays and cancellations, and ferry crossings between Cairnryan and Northern Ireland were cancelled. Several road bridges, including the Forth Road Bridge, had restrictions in place.
Power Outages and Restoration Efforts
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) reported that they had reconnected 33,000 properties, but ongoing weather conditions continue to impact restoration efforts. Fraser Wilson, of SSEN, warned that further weather disruption is expected, making the restoration process lengthy.
"We expect because of the extent of damage to the network and conditions we are still going to be facing today that this will take some time, this storm is not over by any means." - Fraser Wilson, of SSEN.
Winds of 60-70mph are forecast with occasional gusts of up to 85mph, meaning further damage is possible.
Localized Damage and Disruptions
- A derelict building collapsed on the Broomielaw in Glasgow, crushing a car.
- A large shopfront sign was blown off at Inshes Retail Park in Inverness.
- The boundary wall at Montrose FC's Links Park stadium blew over.
- About a dozen passengers were stranded on a train that hit a tree on the line from Inverurie to Aberdeen.
- Traffic at the Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll was diverted. The A83 is closed at Strone Point.
- Competition at golf's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St Andrews was suspended.
- The junior and mini Great Scottish Run in Glasgow were cancelled.
Storm Amy Sets New October Record
The Met Office reports that Storm Amy set a new record for the deepest area of low pressure in the UK for October. At Baltasound, Shetland, a central pressure of 947.9hPa was recorded. This exceeds the previous record of 950.9hPa in 1988.
