Scotland Braces for Two Storms Over the Weekend
Two named storms, Austen and Boelo, are set to bring rain, strong winds and travel disruption to Scotland.
Scotland is preparing for a wet and windy weekend, as two named storms arrive within two days.
The first storm, Storm Austen, is the first to sweep across Scotland. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain in central and eastern areas. The warning starts at 06:00 on Friday and lasts until midnight.
Some places could receive 60-80 mm of rain (millimetres, a unit used to measure rainfall). This brings a risk of flooding and travel disruption.
Storm Boelo will follow on Saturday and will bring wet and windy weather across the whole of the UK.
A yellow weather warning for high winds covers mainland Scotland, the Western Isles and Orkney. The wind warning starts at 18:00 on Saturday and lasts until 21:00 on Sunday. Gusts of 50-65 mph are forecast widely, and could reach 80 mph in exposed locations.
Network Rail Scotland said trains on Friday will be slowed in areas expected to see the heaviest rain. Speed restrictions will also be in place on parts of the West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line, and are expected in some areas during the second storm.
Power cuts are possible, which could also affect mobile phone coverage. There is a small risk of damage to buildings, including roof tiles being blown off.
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