Weather warnings for whole of UK and schools close early as Storm Amy approaches

Weather warnings have been issued for the whole of the UK as the country braces for Storm Amy's arrival.

Commuters have been told to expect travel disruption as the first named storm of the season looks set to batter the country well into the weekend.

Storm Amy is developing in the North Atlantic due to interactions from the remnants of hurricanes Humberto and Imelda with a strong jet stream.

It will become a deep area of low pressure undergoing explosive cyclogenesis - that's when the central pressure drops 24mb or more over 24 hours.

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Several warnings are in place from Friday afternoon, including an amber warning for "damaging winds" in the north and west of Scotland - which looks set to be the area hit worst by the storm - as well as parts of Northern Ireland.

Separate yellow warnings for rain are in place for swathes of Northern Ireland, Scotland and England for Friday.

On Saturday, weather warnings cover the whole of the UK.

All of Scotland, the north of England and the most western parts of Wales will fall under a yellow warning for wind from 3pm on Friday.

Another yellow warning is in place for the rest of England and Wales from 00.01 on Saturday.

Both of these warnings finish at 11.59pm on Saturday.

For the same day, a yellow warning for rain and an amber warning for wind are also in place for parts of Scotland.

Northeastern parts of Scotland, including Orkney & Shetland, are under a yellow warning for wind from 00.01am to 9am on Sunday.

The warnings highlight a danger to life, the possibility of power cuts, damage to buildings, travel disruption, localised flooding and large waves at the coast.

There is also a greater risk of trees falling due to them mostly being in full leaf.

ScotRail has said several railway lines in northern Scotland will close from 6pm on Friday due to the conditions, while speed restrictions will be in place on all other routes from 7pm.

A number of ferry sailings between Cairnryan, in Dumfries and Galloway, and Northern Ireland have been cancelled from midday, Police Scotland said.

Read more: How storms are named

In Northern Ireland, schools in Counties Antrim, Londonderry, Tyrone and Fermanagh have been advised to close at midday today to ensure safety as Storm Amy hits.

Storm Amy will most likely track across northwest Scotland on Friday evening, bringing the strongest winds to northern and western Scotland.

Gusts there will widely reach 60mph to 70mph, higher on coasts and hills, potentially close to 100mph in some very exposed spots.

The highest ever recorded gust in Scotland in October is 106mph, seen at Salsburgh, Lanarkshire, on 18 October 1984.

Other northern and western parts of the UK and Ireland will see strong winds too of 50mph to 60mph from Friday afternoon.

If Storm Amy makes a more southerly track, that could take damaging winds into the Central Belt of Scotland.

If the track is further north, it could mean the strongest winds remain offshore, but that looks more unlikely at this point.

Heavy rain will be an additional hazard, spreading eastwards on Friday, with localised flooding possible.

Saturday looks more showery, but it will stay very windy, potentially stormy for the north of Scotland.

Ever wondered why we name storms?

Across the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands, names are given to areas of low pressure that are expected to bring stormy weather that will cause significant impacts due to strong winds, heavy rain or snow.

Since 2015, the storm naming season has run from 1 September to 30 August.

Giving a storm a name makes it much easier for forecasters, the media and the public to talk about the risk, share warnings and prepare.

The names themselves are chosen from thousands of public suggestions each year, often inspired by loved ones, pets and personal heroes.

Behind the everyday names lies a serious purpose: making sure we all notice the warning, take it seriously, and stay safe when severe weather strikes.

(c) Sky News 2025: Weather warnings for whole of UK and schools close early as Storm Amy approaches