Storm Ashley named as it barrels straight towards the UK

There will be damage and disruption with bridges closed and flights cancelled

A deep area of low pressure, which will bring impacts to the Republic of Ireland and parts of the UK, on Sunday and Monday has been named by Met Éireann – the Irish met service.

Storm Ashley will initially bring impacts to the Republic of Ireland and has therefore been named by and Met Éireann. The area of low pressure, will then track north eastwards reaching the UK early on Sunday morning, bringing strong winds and rain here. Yellow National Severe Weather Warnings for wind are currently in place from 3am on Sunday until midday on Monday.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tony Wisson, said: “Storm Ashley will bring strong winds for most of the UK on Sunday before it clears on Monday, with a chance of some disruption across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northwest England and West Wales.

“A period of especially strong winds are expected on Sunday afternoon and evening in western Scotland, where gusts could potentially reach 70-80mph in exposed areas, and more generally 50-60mph in other parts of the warning area. These strong winds in conjunction with high spring tides, may cause some disruption.

"It is important that people stay up to date with the latest forecast and our warnings.”

Head of Transport Resilience at Transport Scotland, Ashleigh Robson, said: “Storm Ashley is set to bring widespread disruption for travel on Sunday and into Monday. Passengers should certainly check with their operator, and with some families off enjoying the October school holidays, we would advise them to play close attention to any cross-border travel updates too.

“The Multi Agency Team will be in position to take decisions, oversee the network, and advise the public and update Ministers over the weekend as the storm sweeps into parts of Scotland.

“The strong winds may cause particular difficulties for HGVs and we would urge drivers to take note of the conditions, debris on the roads and trees falling onto some roads is a strong possibility. The forecasted rain will make visibility difficult when driving and could result in some localised flooding.

“Disruption on ferry services is very likely, rail services and flights may also be impacted. Please check with you transport operator for the latest information. The decision to cancel services is never taken lightly, but safety of passengers has to be the priority. Please plan ahead. The latest information on the trunk road network is always available at www.traffic.gov.scot.”

Further Ahead

Winds will ease as Storm Ashley pulls away to the east on Monday leaving a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers for many. Next week remains unsettled for many with some longer spells of rain in places.

You can find the latest forecast on our website, on YouTube, by following us on X and Facebook, as well as on our mobile app which is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from the Google Play store.

In Europe, the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands work together as the western storm naming group and storm names are compiled jointly between Met Éireann, the Met Office and KNMI (The Dutch national weather forecasting service). Find out more about naming storms in the UK here.