Powerful Storm Amy: Man Dies in Irish County as Fresh Weather Warning Issued for United Kingdom
Tragedy has struck and a fresh weather warning spans across the entire United Kingdom as Storm Amy persists in causing extensive disturbances.
Local authorities said the man died in a storm-related event in the Letterkenny region of County Donegal, Ireland, just after 4.15pm on Friday.
At the same time, the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind covering the whole of the UK.
Storm Amy is expected to cause further problems for Scotland on Saturday after transport delays, electricity outages and floods.
The northern parts of Scotland will encounter a fresh amber alert for destructive gusts with gusts of more than 90mph in some areas.
The majority of Scotland, apart from the east coast, will be under a yellow warning for rain while a yellow wind alert will be in place throughout the United Kingdom.
Further travel disruption are likely to follow after several flights, train journeys and ferry services were cancelled.
A structure gave way in Glasgow on Friday, crashing onto a vehicle, and leading to road closures in the city centre.
Power cuts were additionally noted in the Highland region and a number of islands – the areas experiencing some of the worst weather.
“Efforts will persist today to restore power for 62,000 individuals. We expect, because of the scale of destruction to the network and weather situations we are still going to be facing today, that this will take some time, the storm persists in any way.”
Street shutdowns also affected drivers and the Forth Road Bridge was closed to all vehicles.
The Tay Bridge resumed operations early on Saturday with a 30mph speed restriction but remained closed to tall trucks, as were the Skye Bridge, Queensferry bridge and Clackmannanshire Bridge.
CalMac Ferries said it expected many services to be disrupted over the weekend, with many routes cancelled.
The Scottish authorities urged people to delay travel if they could and to verify conditions if venturing outdoors.
On Sunday, the northern areas, north-east, Orkney and Shetland isles will also continue to fall under a yellow warning for wind until 9 a.m. that day.
Mark Ilderton, from the rail service, said there would be “significant interruptions” to rail journeys on that day.
He said: “We’re sorry to passengers who have been affected by the delays caused by Storm Amy.
“Network Rail and ScotRail teams will strive diligently to recover services as quickly as possible, but major interruptions will continue through the morning hours.
“We recommend travelers to check their journey prior to departure through the ScotRail website, mobile app, or social media feeds.”
Network Rail said the severe weather had had a greater impact than forecasted.
The railway authority noted: “The powerful storm has hit parts of the country more severely and more quickly than anticipated.
“There have been over 60 incidents on the network during the initial period of the storm, with flooding, branches damaging power lines and obstructions on the rails.
“The safety of passengers and colleagues is paramount, which is why every route to and from the central station have been suspended at the moment.
“We have crews out surveying damage where it is safe to do so and we will do our best to remove obstructions during the night, but we do anticipate some disruption the next morning.
“We apologise to individuals who were planning journeys tonight and now need to find other options.”
The Met Office chief forecaster, Neil Armstrong, said: “The intense storm will be an impactful autumn storm for numerous residents in Scottish and Northern Irish areas, though effects will extend to north-west England and the Welsh region, as well as a broader gusty conditions for the remaining parts of the United Kingdom.
“In regions under amber alerts, damaging gusts of approximately 100 mph are likely for a period on the evening of the storm for sections of western Scottish areas, especially the Isle of Skye, Tiree, Barra isle and western Lochaber.
“This could lead to major interruptions, and brings the risk of power cuts and damage to buildings and trees.
“Elsewhere, gusts of 60 to 80mph are anticipated more widely in the amber alert zones, and somewhat reduced speeds for those covered by yellow alerts.
“Precipitation is an additional hazard, in particular over western Scotland, where amounts may surpass 30 to 50mm in a six to nine-hour span, raising the likelihood of flood conditions for certain areas.
“Several alerts have been released addressing the precipitation danger for the next few days.”