Storm Ashley: Flood warning as strong winds and heavy rain batter Cumbria and southern Scotland

Wind speeds of between 60 and 70 mph are expected to batter Cumbria and southern Scotland on Sunday as the first named storm of the season hits.

A yellow weather warning is in place, which the Met Office says could lead to large waves, affect power supplies, road and rail transport and could lead to some building damage.

Trains will be slowed on the Stranraer line, with passengers advised to plan for disruption across the whole network.

Ross Moran, route director, Network Rail Scotland, said: “Storm Ashley will bring high winds and heavy rain that will impact some services in Scotland.

“To keep passengers and colleagues safe, we need to slow trains down on several lines across Scotland from tomorrow evening.

“In the meantime, our engineers are carrying out extra checks on our pumps and in areas known to be at risk from the elements, particularly flooding. We’ll have more staff than normal on duty to remove fallen trees and debris from the track, as well as to tackle flooding.

"Some journeys will take longer than normal and we advise passengers to plan ahead. We will, of course, remove any speed restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so and we thank passengers for their patience.”

The yellow warning came into force at 3am and will last until midnight.

The Environment Agency has issued flood warnings for the Cumbrian coastline. Flood gates have been closed in Ravenglass, where some low lying properties could be affected.

Flood gates have also been closed at Flimby, Maryport and Skinburness. High tide is expected at 2pm and people are being asked to stay away from coastal paths and promenades due to large waves.

In Scotland, SEPA have issued flood warnings for swathes of Dumfries and Galloway, including Wigtown, Southerness and the Whitesands at Dumfries.

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