Edinburgh weather and travel: Storm Isha brings disruption to Edinburgh train services

Slow-running on Sunday evening; Monday morning rush-hour services could also be affected

Storm Isha will mean disruption to train services from Sunday evening.

Rail bosses have warned that train services and across Scotland, including Edinburgh, will be disrupted from Sunday evening as Storm Isha batters Britain.

A Met Office amber warning of high winds comes into force from 6pm on Sunday, covering Edinburgh, much of southern Scotland, northern England and Wales. It lasts until 9am on Monday, meaning disruption to travel could extend to the morning rush hour.

The amber warning means winds of up to 80mph and heavy rain, posing a risk to life and damage to buildings. There is also the possibility of power cuts and loss of mobile phone signal in affected areas, while some roads and bridges are likely to be shut.

ScotRail said: "We will end services early from 7pm on Sunday night on all routes outside the Central Belt, as well as services to/from Fife, Borders, Maryhill, East Kilbride and Kilmarnock. A limited service will run on the remaining Central Belt lines, but journeys will take longer as trains will be limited to 40mph for safety reasons.

"Safety checks will need to be made to ensure there is no damage before services resume on Monday along the affected routes.

"We've lifted all ticket restrictions on ScotRail services for January 21 so that you can travel before the weather hits. If you want to delay your journey, tickets dated 21 January will be accepted for travel on January 22 and 23.

"Anyone who is unable to use their tickets, or has made alternative arrangements, is entitled to a full refund on their unused train tickets."

ScotRail also had some advice for a wider public, posting on social media: "If you live near the railway, please secure anything in your garden that might blow away - things like tents, trampolines, and benches. These can put people in danger if they land on the track."

Storm Isha is the ninth named storm to hit the UK since the season began in September. The record number of named storms in one year was set in 2015/16 when the Met Office began the practice and named 11. If there are three more named storms between next week and August, this year will mark a new record.