Storm Amy has claimed its first life as fierce winds approaching 100mph swept across the British Isles, leaving widespread damage and disruption in their wake.
Irish police confirmed that a man died in a “weather-related” incident in Letterkenny, County Donegal, just after 4:15pm on Friday.
According to the Met Office, the strongest gust recorded on Friday hit 96mph on Tiree in the Hebrides. Northern Ireland also saw record-breaking winds, with 92mph gusts at Magilligan in County Londonderry — a new October high for the region.
Weather warnings across the UK
An amber warning for strong winds remained in place for northern Scotland until 9pm on Saturday, while yellow warnings covered the rest of Scotland, northern England, and north Wales. Additional yellow alerts for wind were also issued for the rest of England and Wales until 7pm.
Heavy rain added to the chaos, with yellow rain warnings in effect across northern and western Scotland until midnight, and in Northern Ireland until noon.
London’s royal parks closed
All eight of London’s royal parks — including Hyde Park, Richmond Park, and St James’s Park — were closed on Saturday due to the dangerous winds.
In a statement, the Royal Parks said:
“Due to severe wind gusts caused by Storm Amy, all royal parks, plus Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens, will be closed on Saturday, October 4. This includes park roads, cycleways, cafés, sports venues, and the Serpentine boating lake.”
The parks are expected to reopen on Sunday, pending safety inspections. “The safety of visitors and staff is our top priority,” the statement added.
Transport disruption and damage
Storm Amy brought widespread travel chaos across the UK and Ireland. Traffic Scotland reported numerous road closures, including the Forth Road Bridge, which was shut in both directions. The Skye Bridge, Queensferry Crossing, and Clackmannanshire Bridge were all closed to high-sided vehicles.
The Tay Road Bridge reopened early Saturday but with a 30mph speed limit. Elsewhere, fallen trees forced closures along parts of the M9 near Stirling, while flooding temporarily shut the A78 at Skelmorlie.
Rail services were also badly affected. ScotRail warned that disruption could continue into Sunday as safety checks were carried out. All trains through Glasgow Central and Queen Street were suspended Friday night and were not expected to resume until at least Saturday lunchtime.
Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland’s route director, said more than 60 incidents of flooding, fallen trees, and debris were reported within the first two hours of the storm. “Storm Amy has hit parts of the country much harder and more quickly than expected,” he said.
Avanti West Coast urged passengers traveling north of Preston to check for last-minute changes before setting off.
Ferry and air travel affected
CalMac Ferries said many of its services would be disrupted or cancelled throughout Saturday and into Sunday. The M48 Severn Bridge between Gloucestershire and Wales was closed overnight, while parts of the A19 Tees Viaduct, the A66 in Cumbria, and the A628 near Manchester were shut to high-sided vehicles.
Planes struggled to land in fierce winds at Manchester Airport on Friday, while Belfast International Airport warned passengers to expect delays.
Power cuts and flood warnings
Across Ireland, around 234,000 homes and businesses were left without power on Friday. Donegal, one of the hardest-hit counties, was under the country’s highest-level wind warning, with residents told to shelter indoors between 4pm and 6pm.
By Saturday morning, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency had issued 30 flood warnings, while England and Wales had several alerts in place.
What’s next
The Met Office said conditions should gradually improve by Saturday evening for most of the UK, though severe gales are expected to persist overnight in parts of northeast Scotland — including Orkney, Shetland, and the Highlands — until around 9am on Sunday.
Sunday is forecast to bring calmer, drier weather with sunny spells across much of the country, though rain may return later in the day in the northwest. Photo by colin grice, Wikimedia commons.