Cliff Notes
- A man has died and around 184,000 homes in Ireland and 50,000 properties in Northern Ireland lost power due to Storm Amy, which hit with winds reaching 96mph.
- A yellow weather warning is enforced across the UK for Saturday, cautioning against hazardous driving conditions, possible transport disruptions, and dangerous sea conditions.
- The storm’s impact is expected to ease by Sunday as it moves towards Scandinavia, with future storms named Bram, Chandra, and Dave to follow.
Man dies and tens of thousands without power as Storm Amy brings 90mph winds to UK and Ireland | UK News
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A man has died and hundreds of thousands were left without power after Storm Amy brought 90mph winds and heavy rain to parts of the UK and Ireland.
A yellow weather warning covers the whole of Britain from midnight and is in force for most of Saturday.
The Scottish island of Tiree so far tops the wind charts at 96mph, followed by 85mph at Capel Curig in North Wales – which also had 43mm of rain on Friday.
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The worst gusts have been in the North, but the Met Office said it is likely to be very windy everywhere on Saturday.
It warned of possible disruption to public transport, hazardous driving conditions, potential power cuts and dangerous waves.
Exposed coastal and hilly areas, such as Scotland’s far north – where an amber warning indicates potential danger to life – could again see gusts of 90mph.
Gusts of 45-55mph are likely elsewhere across the UK, with heavy rain also expected in western Scotland.
“The very strong winds will also be accompanied by spells of heavy rain, with difficult driving conditions likely, especially for high-sided vehicles on prone routes, such as crosswinds on exposed or high-level routes,” said the Met Office.
ScotRail said some lines were shutting on Friday evening, with speed restrictions on all other routes.
Many schools in Northern Ireland were also advised to close at midday on Friday, while residents in County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland, were put under the maximum red warning and told to “shelter in place” until 6pm.
Around 184,000 homes, farms and businesses across Ireland were also without power at 5.15pm, according to the Electricity Supply Board (ESB). In Northern Ireland, NIE Networks said 50,000 properties had been cut off.
However, the worst of the storm should ease for the vast majority of the country on Sunday as the storm moves towards Scandinavia.
Amy is the first named storm of the new season, which began on 1 September. The names are chosen from thousands of public suggestions each year.
The next few storms will be named Bram, Chandra – and Dave.