The first named storm of the UK season, Storm Amy, is forecast to bring severe weather conditions as it moves across the north-west of the UK on Friday and Saturday.
The Met Office has confirmed yellow severe weather warnings for wind and rain from 12:00 Friday to 23:59 BST Saturday.
Storm Amy is expected to bring widespread gales, heavy rainfall, and gusts reaching up to 80mph (129 km/h), particularly in northern and western Scotland. These high winds could cause damage, power outages, and travel disruption throughout the weekend.
Before Amy arrives, Thursday will see wet and windy weather across Northern Ireland, Scotland, and western parts of England and Wales. Rain will move in from the west, turning particularly heavy in western Scotland, where a yellow weather warning remains in effect until midnight.
Meanwhile, rainfall totals are expected to reach 30-50mm (1-2in) widely, with up to 80mm (3in) possible in the north-west and over higher ground. Flooding and landslides could occur. Gusts of 50mph (80 km/h) are also expected around Irish Sea coasts.
Friday marks the arrival of more intense stormy conditions. A deep area of low pressure will develop ahead of the remnants of Hurricane Humberto, which is weakening in the mid-Atlantic.
Although this system contains parts of the tropical storm, it is being treated as a separate weather event, hence the naming of Storm Amy instead of using Humberto. The storm is being named due to forecasted medium to high impacts, in line with protocols by the Met Office, Met Éireann, and the Netherlands weather service KNMI.
From Friday afternoon, Storm Amy will approach Scotland, bringing heavy rain and strengthening winds across the UK. A yellow weather warning for wind comes into effect for Northern Ireland from 16:00 Friday to 06:00 Saturday. A separate warning for Scotland, north-west England, and North Wales is in place from 18:00 Friday to 23:59 Saturday.
Gusts of 50-60mph (80-96 km/h) are expected widely in the warning areas, with potential peaks of up to 70mph (113 km/h) in some regions. The strongest winds, reaching up to 80mph (129 km/h), are likely along exposed coasts and hills in northern and western Scotland. These winds could cause damage to trees, many of which are still in full leaf, making them more vulnerable to toppling or losing branches.
Also, power outages are possible, and transport networks are likely to be affected. Ferry services may be cancelled, and road and rail travel could be disrupted, particularly in Scotland. Flights from Scottish airports may face delays or cancellations.
While the most powerful winds will begin to ease on Saturday morning, it will remain very windy throughout the day. Gusts of 60-70mph (97-113 km/h) will continue in northern and western Scotland, with widespread gusts across the UK between 40-55mph (64-89 km/h), which could still lead to further disruption.
Alongside strong winds, Storm Amy will bring significant rainfall. A yellow warning for rain is in effect across much of Scotland from 12:00 to 23:59 Friday. Rainfall totals of 20-30mm (0.8-1in) are expected widely, with some hilly areas in the south-west and Southern Highlands seeing up to 50mm (2in). Given the rainfall earlier in the week, there is a continued risk of localised flooding.
The main band of rain will clear to the south-east early Saturday, though blustery conditions will persist, accompanied by a mix of sunshine and showers, especially in northern and western parts of the UK.
By Sunday, Storm Amy will have moved further into the North Sea, bringing drier weather and lighter winds to much of the UK for the latter part of the weekend.
