In the Scottish Highlands, wind gusts of 196 kilometers per hour have been measured. A code orange alert is in effect in northern Scotland and a code yellow alert in the south. Northern Ireland and northern England are also experiencing very strong winds and rain.
According to the British meteorological service, the storm is atypically strong for this time of year. Since 2011, when the current warning system was introduced, a code orange alert has only been issued twice in Scotland in August.
The actual wind speeds are also higher than what the weather service had predicted. The wind gusts of nearly 200 kilometers per hour were measured on top of the Cairngorms, a mountain range in the Scottish Highlands. In the lower-lying parts of Scotland, the wind is slightly less strong, with a maximum of 130 kilometers per hour.
The storm has caused damage in many places. More than 30,000 homes in Scotland are without power. Part of the train service has been interrupted by fallen trees on the track. Flights have also been cancelled. The airports of Glasgow in Scotland and Belfast in Northern Ireland have been particularly affected. Images show planes that do land having a lot of trouble with the wind.
The Fringe Festival, the largest performing arts festival in the world, is currently taking place in Edinburgh. At least a hundred performances have been cancelled, reports Sky News. It mainly concerns performances outside and in tents. The Edinburgh Zoo has also closed its doors.
The name Floris comes from the KNMI, which, together with its British and Irish counterparts, draws up lists of names for storm names. By naming storms, the weather services want to make people more aware of dangerous weather. The code orange alert in Scotland is valid until midnight Dutch time. The weather will be calmer on Tuesday.