Storm Isha Edinburgh: Trains and flights cancelled as storm continues to wreak havoc
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The Met Office has issued more Yellow weather warnings, with Storm Isha expected to cause disruption for the next two days.
With extreme high winds, travel plans have been cancelled across the country, and many roads have been closed.
LIVE: Storm Isha in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Key Events
- Scots have been warned to avoid unnecessary travel
- Network Rail said it expects train services in Scotland to remain suspended until around noon after “a wild night”.
No rush-hour trains as Storm Isha disruption continues
Travel disruption is continuing after amber and red warnings at the height of Storm Isha, with all ScotRail trains suspended until after the morning rush-hour.
Police have urged motorists to exercise caution when travelling as conditions may be hazardous.
Thousands of people without power
Thousands of people have been left without power as Storm Isha brought disruption to electricity and transport networks.
The storm battered the UK with heavy rain and gusts of up to 99mph.
The entire country was subject to wind warnings issued by the Met Office.
Police issue travel warning
Police Scotland is advising all road users to exercise extra caution due to the disruption caused by Storm Isha overnight. The Met Office has downgraded the Amber weather warning for wind, however a Yellow warning for wind is still in place for all of Scotland.
Conditions for travel may still be hazardous and road users should drive to the conditions and allow extra time for journeys.
Wind gusts
Transport Scotland said the strongest gust recorded on its network overnight was 107mph on the Tay Bridge, with Edinburgh seeing gusts of more than 70mph, while the Met Office said an 84mph gust was recorded at Salsburgh.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
The Botanics is closed today, Monday 22 January, until further notice due to very high winds from Storm Isha. The Botanics Shop and John Hope Gateway Café remain open.
Temporary traffic lights
There will be temporary traffic lights at the Ardmillan Terrace / Gorgie Road junction today while contractors reinstate a traffic signal pole that came down in the night. Work will start and finish ASAP but no exact times just yet.
Man died during storm
An 84-year-old man has died during Storm Isha after the car he was a passenger in crashed into a fallen tree in Grangemouth, Fife, on Sunday, Police Scotland have said.
Impact on rail travel
ScotRail customer operations director Phil Campbell said: “We know the impact that the withdrawal of train services will have on customers, but our first priority is always to ensure the safety of staff and passengers – and this is a necessary step to ensure everyone’s safety during the severe weather.”
Speaking later on BBC Radio Scotland, he said it will be late morning and into the afternoon before routes start to reopen.
New storm coming this week
The next storm of the season has been named by the Irish forecaster Met Eireann.
Storm Jocelyn is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the UK on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
East Coast Main Line
Network Rail Scotland have reopened the East Coast Main Line south of Edinburgh.
Jocelyn is UK’s tenth named storm in five months
Storm Jocelyn, which arrives on Tuesday, will be the tenth named storm in five months and only the second time in a UK storm season that the letter J has been reached in the alphabet.
Storm seasons run from the start of September to the end of the following August.
The first time the letter J was reached was in March 2016, with Storm Jake.
The furthest a storm season has reached in the alphabet is the letter K, when Storm Katie was named, also in March 2016.
The Met Office began naming storms in 2015
Rail update
National Rail says following an object being caught in the overhead electric wires at Edinburgh earlier today trains are now able to run as normal.
Princes Street Gardens closed
Princes Street Gardens will remain closed today due to the high winds brought on by Storm Isha.
ScotRail services across Scotland to be suspended
ScotRail services across Scotland will be suspended from 7pm on Tuesday as Storm Jocelyn hits the UK and there will be no rush hour services the following morning, the railway operator has said.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: “The heavy wind and ongoing rain hitting most parts of the country mean that it will not be safe for our customers and our staff, and all ScotRail train services will be suspended from 7pm tomorrow.
“This is the second withdrawal of train services this week, and we know the impact this has on customers, but the safety of staff and passengers will always be our priority.”