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

Disruption expected until afternoon

Storm Otto: Plane forced to abort landing at Manchester airport

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

[17 February 2023 08:09 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Storm Otto lashes UK with gale force winds of 80mph

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.

[17 February 2023 08:45 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Train firm Northern says tree blocking line between Harrogate and Knaresborough

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.

[17 February 2023 08:55 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

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

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

[17 February 2023 09:17 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Highest wind gusts recorded over the past few hours

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.

[17 February 2023 09:46 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Schools closed and thousands without power as Storm Otto hits

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.

(Met Office)

[17 February 2023 10:15 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

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

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:

[17 February 2023 10:45 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Two yellow weather warnings issued today

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

[17 February 2023 11:29 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

London North Eastern Railway says services have been cancelled

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).

(PA Archive)

[17 February 2023 11:57 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

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

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

(PA)

(PA)

(PA)

[17 February 2023 12:30 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Strong winds tear roof of school

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.”

(PA)

(PA)