Edinburgh weather LIVE: Heavy rain and winds as Storm Kathleen sparks travel chaos and causes flooding
and live on Freeview channel 276
Edinburgh and the Lothians has been hit with heavy rain this morning as Storm Kathleen reaches the UK. The city is set to experience a day of wet weather and very high winds on Friday, heading into Saturday.
Storm Kathleen, named by the Irish meteorological service Met Eireann, is the 11th named storm in eight months. It is only the second time in a UK storm season that the letter K has been reached in the alphabet.
Follow here for all of the latest weather updates.
Edinburgh weather LIVE: Heavy rain and winds as Storm Kathleen sparks travel chaos and causes flooding
Key Events
- Live updates as Storm Kathleen hits the UK
- Trains cancelled due to flooding
Surface water on the bypass
Surface water on the bypass from sheriff hall to Lothianburn causing delays. Traffic Scotland saying delays of around 20 minutes. 2 lanes restricted Westbound. First reported at 2.43pm. AA said: "Severe delays of 24 minutes and delays increasing on A720 Edinburgh City Bypass Westbound between A68 (Millerhill Junction) and Dreghorn Link (Dreghorn Junction). Average speed ten mph."
Hottest day of year forecast amidst Storm Kathleen
The UK is expected to record its hottest day of the year so far on Saturday, as Storm Kathleen batters parts of the country with heavy rain and winds of up to 70mph.
The Met Office said temperatures could reach up to 22C in East Anglia as unseasonably warm air is drawn across parts of the UK during sunny spells.
In Edinburgh, temperatures could reach up to 16C, although it is going to be very windy.
Speedway cancelled
Tonight's scheduled season opener at Armadale Stadium between Edinburgh Monarchs and Glasgow Tigers has been postponed due to the poor weather. Details of the restaging date will follow once confirmed.
Edinburgh Travel News share post on X (formerly Twitter)
Traffic's very slow on roads to the airport today with congestion on Eastfield Road and queues on both off-slips from Glasgow Road. We're also hearing that part of Fairview Road is closed due to flooding.
Trains cancelled due to flooding
ScotRail trains travelling between Edinburgh and Glasgow via Shotts have been cancelled this morning after heavy rain has caused flooding on the line.
Strom Kathleen has seen six routes affected following heavy rainfall today with disruption expected to last until 12pm. The rail operator said bus services are now in place to allow passenger to complete their journeys.
ScotRail said: “Due to flooding on the line, services between Glasgow and Edinburgh via Shotts will be cancelled this morning. The route is closed and Network Rail are on site to rectify the situation as quickly as possible.”
Met Office says stronger gusts more likely in Storm Kathleen update
The Met Office has warned that stronger gusts are more likely during Storm Kathleen in an update to its weather warning.
The forecaster issued a yellow weather warning for wind in western areas of the UK, including Northern Ireland, parts of Scotland and Wales, and the north-west and south-west of England from 8am to 10pm on Saturday.
On Friday the Met Office said in its update: “Stronger gusts are now expected across some parts of the warning area, with likelihood also increased.”
It warned of injuries and danger to life from “large waves and beach material being thrown on to sea fronts, coastal roads and properties”, adding “road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible”.
There could also be power cuts and mobile phone coverage could be affected.
Wet and windy conditions are forecast to arrive on Friday, heading into Saturday, as Storm Kathleen rolls in.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.