Storm Otto weather warning as Met Office confirms sudden stratospheric warming event – live

Trains have been cancelled and hundreds of schools closed as Storm Otto lashes Scotland and England.

Rail lines between York and Edinburgh are currently blocked as low-cost rail operator Lumo warned this morning: “Due to high winds between York and Edinburgh all lines are blocked.

Meanwhile The Met Office has confirmed a new ‘stratospheric event’ that previously led to the 2018’s Beast from the East snowstorm has started.

Despite the name, Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) can cause very cold conditions similar to five years ago, when the UK saw up to 22 inches of snowfall.

Meanwhile, electricity company SSEN has said there are 101 power outages in Scotland, and more than 130,000 customers on its priority services register have been contacted with storm advice.

Yellow weather warnings for wind have been issued for the whole of Scotland and a stretch of north and north-east England running from Sheffield to the Scottish border.

Key Points

• Storm Otto: Train lines between York and Edinburgh blocked as Scotland is battered by 80mph winds

• Schools closed and thousands without power as Storm Otto hits

• Storm Otto lashes UK with gale force winds of 80mph

• First named storm of the year to batter UK with 75mph winds

• High winds, rain, and travel disruption expected in parts of the UK

16:21 , Emily Atkinson

We are now pausing our live updates on Storm Otto for the evening.

Thank you for joining us.

Storm Otto: First named storm of the year to batter UK with 75mph winds

Thursday 16 February 2023 20:24 , Emily Atkinson

The first named storm of the year is set to batter parts of the UK with 75mph winds on Friday.

Parts of Scotland and north-east England have been warned to brace for disruption from high winds and rain as Storm Otto approaches the UK.

The storm was named by the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and will move east across the far north of the UK from the early hours of Friday morning, bringing gusts in excess of 75mph.

Read our full report here:

Storm Otto to batter UK with 75mph winds as Met Office issues weather warnings

Tips for staying safe in strong wind

Thursday 16 February 2023 21:30 , Emily Atkinson

The Met Office has shared five handy tips for staying safe in strong wind.

Protecting your property and people from harm

Check for loose items outside your home and plan how you could secure them in high winds.

Prepare before making journeys

Forecasters advise planning your route and checking for any delays or road closures. Otherwise, create a pack of essentials and make sure to take a fully charged mobile phone.

Drive safely, if at all

Suggestions include driving slowly to minimise the impact of wind gusts and being aware of high-sided vehicles/caravans on more exposed roads

Staying safe on the coast

If you live or work on the coast, stay alert to the possibility of large waves and walking near the edge of cliffs. Keeping an eye on the local forecast and ride predictions is also key.

Avoiding injuries

Stay indoors as much as possible. If you do go out, try not to walk or shelter close to buildings and trees.

For more detailed advice, visit this Met Office webpage.

Temperatures to climb overnight as winds descend

Thursday 16 February 2023 22:30 , Emily Atkinson

Temperatures are set to climb overnight as cloud and strong winds descend.

The Met Office has forecast highs of 12C in London and The Borders by 5am on Friday.

Map showing areas covered by yellow warnings

Thursday 16 February 2023 23:30 , Emily Atkinson

Scotland weather warning: What do forecasters say?

00:30 , Emily Atkinson

The first of two weather warnings issued by the Met Office covers the length and breadth of Scotland.

Here’s what the Met Office say:

A spell of very strong winds across Scotland associated with Storm Otto may bring some disruption during Friday.

What to expect

• Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible

• Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen

• Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible

• Some roads and bridges may close

• Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage

• Injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties

England weather warning: What do forecasters say?

01:30 , Emily Atkinson

A weather warning was also issued for a vast stretch of northeast and central England, starting from Newcastle in the north down to Sheffield further south.

Here’s what the forecasters say

Very strong winds developing through Friday morning associated with Storm Otto may bring disruption to travel.

What to expect

• Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. High-sided vehicles may be particularly prone in this set-up.

• Some roads and bridges may close

• Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage

• Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen

• Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible

Latest from the Met Office as Storm Otto approaches

02:30 , Emily Atkinson

A “very windy morning” is on the cards for many, especially those further north, say forecasters.

The Met Office warns gusts in excess of 75mph will tear through the UK as Storm Otto approaches.

High winds, rain, and travel disruption expected in parts of the UK

03:30 , Stuti Mishra

Storm Otto is set to cause disruption to parts of Scotland and north-east England as it moves across the country today,

The Met Office has said the high winds will mean travel disruption and possible damage to buildings in places and warned the drivers of high-sided vehicles to be careful.

Read more:

Storm Otto to bring high winds, rain, and travel disruption to parts of the UK

How do storms and hurricanes get their names?

04:00 , Stuti Mishra

From the not-so-bygone days of Storms Eunice and Dudley, which battered the country this time last year, The Independent’s Joe Sommerlad took a look at how and why storms like these come to be given human names:

Why is it called Storm Eunice?

RAC shares crucial driving tips in strong winds

04:30 , Emily Atkinson

Travel warnings in place as operators urge to check status

05:15 , Stuti Mishra

Train operators are urging travellers to check the status before stepping out at Storm Otto is expected to bring disruption to travellers across northern areas of the UK.

TransPennine Express has warned customers to check their route before they travel, adding that trains between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh will move at reduced speeds in response to the weather.

Meanwhile, Leeds City Station also urged travellers to keep an eye on train schedules.

"We may need to slow trains down or respond to debris blown onto the tracks."

ScotRail issues warning to people living near railway

05:45 , Stuti Mishra

ScotRail has urged anyone that lives near a train line to secure any garden objects as Storm Otto approached.

It said on Twitter: “With very windy weather on the way, if you live by the railway please secure your garden furniture and items such as trampolines, to avoid them blowing onto tracks and disrupting services.”

Forecast for today during Storm Otto

06:15 , Stuti Mishra

As heavy rain is set to lash some northern parts with drizzle in central and southern parts, the Met office has issued this forecast for temperatures expected today:

Met Office outlook

06:40 , Stuti Mishra

Friday:

Mild with occasional rain or drizzle in central and southern parts. Sunny spells and showers further north. Severe gales for parts of Scotland and northern England easing from the west.

Outlook for Saturday to Monday:

Rain and hill snow clears Scotland early Saturday, leaving sunny spells and isolated few wintry showers. Cloudier elsewhere, with rain at times. Further rain or showers Sunday and Monday. Mild.

Emergency speed restrictions imposed on 'numerous sections' of Scotland's railway

07:05 , Stuti Mishra

Network Rail Scotland has imposed emergency speed restrictions on numerous sections of track amid adverse weather conditions from Storm Otto.

In a tweet, the railway operator said these speed restrictions will be in operation from the first service today.

Why ‘Storm Otto'?

07:30 , Stuti Mishra

Denmark is expected to bear the brunt of the storm on Friday afternoon, leading the Danes to name the system, which has now been adopted by the Met Office in line with the international storm-naming arrangements.

Otto is the first named storm to directly impact the UK this storm-naming season, which began in September.

The first storm named by the Met Office, or the Irish and Dutch weather services this season will still be Storm Antoni, in accordance with the 2022/23 storm name list.

Friday morning update

07:38 , William Mata

What we know so far:

- Storm Otto is set to cause disruption to parts of Scotland and north-east England as it moves across the UK on Friday.

- TransPennine Express has warned customers to check their route before they travel, adding that trains between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh will move at reduced speeds.

- The storm will move east across the far north of the UK from the early hours of Friday morning, bringing gusts in excess of 75mph.

- The Met Office has said the high winds will mean travel disruption and possible damage to buildings in places and warned the drivers of high-sided vehicles to be careful.

Read the full report here.

Met Office warning for high sided vehicles

07:45 , William Mata

The Met Office has said the high winds will mean travel disruption and possible damage to buildings in places and warned the drivers of high-sided vehicles to be careful.

- It said there is also a danger of large waves on the North Sea coast "as well as a chance of some damage to buildings and infrastructure".

- Yellow weather warnings for wind have been issued for the whole of Scotland and a stretch of north and north-east England running from Sheffield to the Scottish border.

- The detailed warning for Scotland explains that there could be "injuries and danger to life from flying debris" and "some damage to building, such as tiles blown from roofs".

- The warning for Scotland runs from 3am to 3pm Friday and the north-east England warning is from 5am to 2pm.

40-50mm of rain predicted for Scotland

07:48 , William Mata

Around 40-50mm of rain likely to fall over parts of western Scotland, the Met Office has said.

Met Office chief meteorologist Andy Page said: "Storm Otto will bring high winds and rain to the UK, with some northern parts of Scotland and the north-east of England likely to get the strongest gusts of wind, possibly in excess of 75mph. Warnings have been issued and could be updated as Storm Otto develops.

"There's a chance of travel disruption and high-sided vehicles could be particularly prone to disrupted plans in this set-up.

"There's associated rain with Storm Otto, with 40-50mm of rain likely to fall over parts of western Scotland."

Storm Otto lashes UK with gale force winds of 80mph

08:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Storm Otto is lashing parts of the UK this morning with gales of up to 80mph expected in the worst affected areas.

Otto is the first named storm of the season and the Met Office has yellow warnings for wind in place for swathes of northern England and Scotland.

The warnings - covering cities including Manchester, Hull, Newcastle Glasgow and Edinburgh - were in force from early this morning and will remain until Friday afternoon.

Residents in the affected areas have been told there is a chance of travel disruption, damage to some buildings and power cuts.

“A spell of very strong winds is expected during Friday morning, easing from the west during the afternoon,” the Met Office said.

Storm Otto lashes Scotland with gale force winds of 80mph

Train firm Northern says tree blocking line between Harrogate and Knaresborough

08:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The train firm Northern said a tree was blocking the line between Harrogate and Knaresborough, affecting a range of services.

The company also said: “Due to an object being caught on the overhead electric wires at Wakefield Westgate, all lines are blocked. Train services running through this station will be cancelled, delayed by up to 25 minutes or diverted.”

There were also reports of trees blocking some roads in the Harrogate area and an overturned lorry causing traffic problems on the A1M at Bedale.

Storm Otto: Reporter almost blown over by strong winds during live report

08:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A reporter was almost blown over during strong winds as parts of the UK are set to be battered by 75mph winds today.

Highest wind gusts recorded over the past few hours

09:17 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Met Office has recorded the highest wind gusts over the past few hours as the first named storm of the year batters Scotland and England.

Schools closed and thousands without power as Storm Otto hits

09:46 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Schools have been closed in Scotland as Storm Otto unleashes gales of upto 85mph.

Highland Council announced 28 schools and 19 nurseries would be closed across the area.

Meanwhile, electricity company SSEN has said there are 101 power outages in Scotland, and more than 130,000 customers on its priority services register have been contacted with storm advice.

Storm Otto: Train lines between York and Edinburgh blocked as Scotland is battered by 80mph winds

10:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Train lines between York and Edinburgh are currently blocked as a result of Storm Otto.

Low-cost rail operator Lumo warned this morning: “Due to high winds between York and Edinburgh all lines are blocked.

“Trains running through these stations may be cancelled.

“Disruption is expected until 14.45.”

So far this morning, Lumo’s 7.57am service from Newcastle to London Kings Cross and its 9.24am Edinburgh to London Kings Cross train have been cancelled. The 5.45am London Kings Cross to Edinburgh train was terminated at Newcastle and will no longer call at Morpeth and Edinburgh.

Helen Coffey reports:

Train lines between York and Edinburgh blocked due to Storm Otto

Two yellow weather warnings issued today

10:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings for wind today as Storm Otto batters Scotland and parts of England.

London North Eastern Railway says services have been cancelled

11:29 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) said a number of services had been cancelled, and train firm Northern said a tree was blocking the line between Harrogate and Knaresborough, affecting a range of services.

The company also said: “Due to an object being caught on the overhead electric wires at Wakefield Westgate, all lines are blocked. Train services running through this station will be cancelled, delayed by up to 25 minutes or diverted.”

There were also reports of trees blocking some roads in Harrogate and Leeds.

The storm, the first to be named this winter, has been labelled Otto by the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI).

Porsche damaged by fallen tree as high speed winds batter parts of England

11:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Pictures show a Porsche 911 car damaged by a fallen tree in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, as a result of storm Otto.

Strong winds tear roof of school

12:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The strong winds brought to the UK by Storm Otto tore the roof off a school and crushed a sports car under a falling tree on Friday morning.

Angus Council shared images of the collapsed roof of Burnside Primary School, Carnoustie.

Repairs are being made on Friday and Monday while the school is closed for half-term.

A tree toppled onto a Porsche on Granby Road in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, causing anxiety for drivers in the area.

Charlie Lowe, a 29-year-old cake business owner from Harrogate, photographed the crushed Porsche on her way to work, telling the PA news agency: “I felt shocked and I think it’s nerve-wracking.

“I felt a bit nervous driving around Harrogate as a result.”

Met Office weather forecast as Storm Otto hits

13:07 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Today:

Severe gales affecting parts of Scotland, with some very strong gusts over and east of the Pennines; winds easing by afternoon, with sunny intervals and scattered showers. Further south, very mild, occasionally brighter ahead of a weakening rain band.

Tonight:

Southern and central areas, mild and cloudy with patchy drizzle, especially for western hills. Scotland sees heavier rain spreading northeast, with snow on hills to north of the central belt.

Saturday:

Rain and hill snow in Scotland eases, with some brightness, though rain may return later. Some drizzly rain further south, but mild with a few brighter spell by afternoon.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Windy with rain at times in the north, perhaps with wintry showers later on Tuesday. Drier in the south, but with drizzle in the west. Mostly mild or very mild.

Man in hospital after a tree fell on Sheffield street

13:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A man has been taken to hospital in a serious condition after a tree fell on a street in Sheffield.

South Yorkshire Police said they were called to Endcliffe Vale Road at 8.50am on Friday.A spokesperson said: “A man in his 50s was injured and was taken to hospital in serious condition. A property nearby was also damaged and structural engineers are at the scene.

“The road is currently closed with emergency services at the scene. The council and GeoAmey are also currently in attendance.

“Motorists are advised to take alternative routes whilst the road is closed.”

Met Office issues yellow warning for snow and ice on Saturday

13:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice has been issued over parts of Scotland for Saturday.

The Met Office said: “Ice and snow may lead to some travel disruption across parts of Scotland on Saturday morning, mostly on high level routes.”

Here’s what to expect:

• Some higher level roads and railways are likely to be affected, leading to longer journeys by car, bus and train

• Icy patches are possible on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths

• Some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces

Warning on severe weather event that caused ‘Beast from the East’

14:37 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A weather event that caused the ‘Beast from the East’ storm in 2018 could be about to hit Europe again, forecasters say.

The UK Met Office said a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event was “likely” to take place in the next few weeks.

A SSW event is when rapid warming occurs high up in the atmosphere but can change weather on land.

It makes the jet stream meander more, which can lead to a large area of blocking high pressure over northern Europe, including the UK.

Matt Mathers reports:

Met Office issues warning on new Beast from the East 2023

Watch: Fallen tree flattens Porsche amid Storm Otto passing

14:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A parked Porsche was flattened by a tree that fell due to high speed winds in today’s storm.

What weather does the weekend have in store?

15:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

While Scotland will see snow on Saturday, the weather for the rest of the country this weekend will generally be milder than the blustery winds we have seen today.

The Met Office has more:

Met Office weather forecast for this weekend

16:03 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Tonight:

Southern and central areas, mild and cloudy with patchy drizzle, especially for western hills. Scotland sees heavier rain spreading northeast, with snow on hills to north of the central belt.

Saturday:

Rain and hill snow in Scotland eases, with some brightness, though rain may return later. Some drizzly rain further south, but mild with a few brighter spell by afternoon.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Windy with rain at times in the north, perhaps with wintry showers later on Tuesday. Drier in the south, but with drizzle in the west. Mostly mild or very mild.