Better protection to safeguard communities against the dangerous and costly impacts of severe conditions is urgently needed
Campaigners are calling for Scottish leaders to ramp up action to tackle climate change after Storm Floris battered Scotland with unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain.
An amber ‘danger to life’ weather warning was in place across most of the country for the majority of the day on Tuesday (4 August), with people warned not to travel as gusts in excess of 80mph hit many areas.
Storms at this time of year are not unheard of, but the strength of Floris was unprecedented.
Meteorologists said it may bethe most powerful summer storm on record to hit the UK.
The exceptional summer conditions caused widespread disruption across the country, with ferries, trains and flights cancelled, bridges closed and power cuts in more than 43,000 homes.
Multiple trees came down in the high winds, blocking roads and damaging properties, while campervans were blown over on the Isle of Skye.
Wind speeds reached more than 100mph in some of the most exposed and mountainous locations.
As the clear-up continues, members of Scotland’s climate coalition say Floris serves as a potent reminder that we must do everything possible to limit the rise in world temperatures, which is known to increase the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.
Better protection to safeguard communities against the dangerous and costly impacts of severe conditions is also urgently needed.
Mike Robinson, chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS), said: “Over the last five years we have seen less and less commitment and yet more and more impacts.
“Politicians from all parties across the UK should be doing everything in their power to protect their constituents from the danger, disruption and damage these types of events are causing, because otherwise they are only going to keep getting worse.”
SCCS coalition manager Becky Kenton-Lake added: “Floris is not the first summer storm to blast Scotland and it won’t be the last. However, Scotland’s leaders must do everything necessary to guard against climate impacts and ensure communities are protected against the worst effects of wild weather.
“We need to see proper progress on slashing greenhouse gas emissions in a way that is fair and to dramatically boost our natural defences by restoring peatlands, planting trees and improving wetlands.
“The Scottish Government has an ideal opportunity to make this happen with its upcoming new Climate Change Plan, which is expected before the end of the year.”
Figures show around 200 people have died as a direct result of storms since the 1960s, including at least five fatalities during Storm Bert in November 2024.
Meanwhile, estimates suggest the damage costs around £300 million each year.
The number of windstorms varies naturally from year to year and decade to decade, making long-term patterns difficult to detect.
However, according to the Met Office, climate projections suggest that winter windstorms may become more frequent and increasingly intense over the UK in the future.
This includes a potential rise in disproportionately severe events.
Powerful winds can lead to coastal impacts such as storm surges and high waves, which are expected to worsen with rising sea levels linked to climate change.
Human-caused climate change made the world’s ten deadliest extreme weather events of the last 20 years – including killer storms, heatwaves and floods – more intense and more likely, according to new analysis by scientists from the World Weather Attribution group at Imperial College London.
