On Monday, 4 August 2025, Storm Floris hit the UK, causing trains, planes, ferries, and events to be cancelled. With many train routes and highways across the country being damaged, travellers are likely to experience the consequences of the storm throughout Tuesday, 5 August.
Storm Floris will be known as the UK’s sixth named storm of the 2024-25 season and the first one to hit the country since Éowyn in January 2025. According to the Met Office, central and northern Scotland were most affected by the bad weather usually experienced during Winter, with top wind speeds of 82 miles per hour (132 kilometres per hour) being registered by the Met.
“At the height of summer, we’ve mounted an operation that’s comparable in size to the ones we mobilise when a storm hits during the depths of winter,” Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) director of customer operations, Andy Smith, said in a statement.
What a crazy day in Rosehearty & Fraserburgh with Storm Floris. So much debris on the streets, roads closed by fallen trees and a lot of shops closed. Strange to think it’ll be sunny and warm on Wednesday! #CrazyWeather #StormFloris pic.twitter.com/eKzeBlGbwS
— Sean Batty (@SeanBattyTV) August 4, 2025
Before the storm hit land, an amber weather warning was issued across large parts of Scotland. Such an alert is shared when there is a danger to life, and the police advise against unnecessary travel. Trains, flights, and ferries were therefore cancelled throughout the region during the day. Additionally, Network Rail Scotland asked anyone living near a railway to consider the storm.
“It’s a windy one out there today! If you live near the railway, please make sure things like garden furniture or trampolines are tied down. Blown debris can cause delays- every little bit helps to keep trains moving,” the railway posted on X.
Meanwhile, a yellow weather warning applied to southern Scotland, Northern Ireland, parts of north Wales, and northern England.
💨 It's a windy one out there today! If you live near the railway, please make sure things like garden furniture or trampolines are tied down. #StormFloris
— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) August 4, 2025
Blown debris can cause delays- every little bit helps to keep trains moving. pic.twitter.com/1ZFGC7bqfK
Cancellations and other changes
As a result of Storm Floris, 43,000 properties in the Highlands and the north-east of Scotland were hit by power cuts on Monday afternoon. Scotland’s railways were heavily impacted by the severe weather as of Monday noon with ScotRail, Network Rail Scotland, and LNER saying to had experienced extensive damage to their networks.
“The damage caused by the storm has been extensive, including trees falling onto overhead wires and tracks. Network Rail will soon begin work to recover the railway, as a number of routes will need to be inspected once the storm has passed and then repair work carried out. While some checks will be carried out later tonight, further inspections will be needed during daylight hours, which will cause disruption to services on some routes on Tuesday morning,” ScotRail stated on X.
⚠️#StormFloris has caused extensive damage to parts of the network, and before services can resume,@NetworkRailSCOT will need to carry out inspections/repairs.
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) August 4, 2025
While some checks will be carried out tonight, further inspections will be needed during daylight hours, which will… pic.twitter.com/bE0tOQV0QM
On the A87 road, leading to Portree on the Isle of Skye, several campervans were blown over. High-sided vehicles were prohibited from taking the A66 in Durham and Cumbria for several hours between Scotch Corner and the M6 at Penrith because of the heavy winds.
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, a total of 68 flights from UK airports were cancelled on Monday. 12 of those were scheduled to depart from Aberdeen, the worst-affected airport.
For the first time in 75 years, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo was cancelled due to bad weather. Other Edinburgh festivals and events got cancelled as well, and the local zoo closed at noon on Monday due to the heavy winds.
A stunning view from space today as #StormFloris swirls over the UK and Ireland 💨 pic.twitter.com/O6hsguDRVl
— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) August 4, 2025
Impact
In the aftermath of the storm, travellers should expect to still feel the impact of Floris on Tuesday, 6 August. ScotRail stated that disruption should be expected until approximately 4:00 pm on Tuesday as the operator checks all routes for possible damage, while LNER stated that its services north of Newcastle could be delayed or cancelled on Tuesday. The impact on the Caledonian Sleeper Services and the TransPennine Express was expected to be over by Tuesday morning.
Storm Floris has been the most-damaging summer storm in recent memory, and it’s having a big impact on our Scottish network. While we fix faults, we're organising meal provision in affected communities. Locations will be updated on our social channels.
— Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (@ssencommunity) August 4, 2025
While roads across the region should be open to traffic once again, drivers should be on the lookout for fallen trees and other obstacles.
