Image source, olly79/BBC Weather Watchers

Power cuts, travel disruption - even cows on the loose. Today we've seen how Storm Floris has hit the UK.

Scotland has taken much of the impact - a gust of 82mph (132km/h) was recorded at Wick, Caithness, before 19:00 - the strongest in the UK today, away from mountain sites.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks has described it as "the most damaging summer storm in recent memory". Earlier this evening, it said more than 43,000 homes in Scotland were without power.

There’s been major disruption on the railway - some of which will continue into tomorrow morning, according to ScotRail.

There have also been a number of road closures due to fallen trees, as well as flight and ferry cancellations.

But the worst is now over, as winds have now peaked in almost all parts of the UK. The Northern Isles, though, are set to stay very windy overnight.

The amber wind warning for much of Scotland ends at 23:00, while a yellow warning for Northern Ireland, northern England and Wales, and other parts of Scotland expires at 23:59.

We're bringing our live coverage to a close now. You can read our main story on Storm Floris here.

Ben Rich
Lead weather presenter

The Met Office amber warning covering Scotland is set to expire at 23:00, and winds have now peaked in almost all parts of the UK.

The exception is the Northern Isles, with Orkney and Shetland due to remain very windy overnight.

Gusts of 50-70 mph (80-113km/h) are expected with a Met Office yellow warning in force until 08:00 on Tuesday.

Tomorrow will be a calmer day as Storm Floris moves away towards Scandinavia - still blustery but not nearly as stormy as today.

All areas will see sunny spells with a scattering of showers, especially in the north and east.

A little earlier, Radio Scotland's Drivetime heard from people affected by Storm Floris.

Elle Duffy runs the Rum Bunkhouse hostel and campsite on the Isle of Rum. She says today has not been the nice summer days she was promised before she moved to the island.

"We've got dozens of felled trees, and one caravan has been completely destroyed here as well. We're all hunkering down together."

She says packing in the many people seeking shelter in her inn is like "playing Tetris" because of the large numbers.

Storm Floris has been "the most damaging summer storm in recent memory", Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) says.

The weather is having a big impact on its Scottish network, according to a post on social media.

The company also says that while it fixes faults, it is organising meal provision for affected communities - times and locations are being published on its social media., external

Let’s get you up to speed with the latest on Storm Floris this evening.

• A Met Office amber wind warning is in place until 23:00 across much of Scotland
• Flood warnings have just been issued for the River Strath Oykel in northern Scotland and the Churchill Barriers - four causeways in the Orkney Islands
• A gust of 82mph (132km/h) was recorded at Wick, Caithness, before 19:00 - the strongest gust in the UK so far today, away from mountain sites
• The storm has also been disrupting ferry routes in the Irish Sea between the Isle of Man and north-west England, with some services delayed or cancelled
• ScotRail says disruption across its network is expected to continue into Tuesday
• Most of Scotland’s major bridges remain closed to certain vehicles, with some still shut entirely

Meanwhile, if you fancy watching some animal videos, take a look at a dozen cows running through a street after a fence was blown off.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

A reminder that an amber wind warning from the Met Office in August is not exactly par for the course.

The Met Office says Storm Floris is "an unusually strong storm for the time of year" - prompting what is only the third August amber wind warning since it introduced its current warning system in 2011.

The amber warning, that covers large parts of Scotland, is in place until 23:00 BST.

Image source, PA Media

The Tay Road Bridge remains closed to all vehicles, while the Kincardine Bridge is closed to high-sided vehicles, with a 30mph speed limit in place.

The Tyne Bridge is also closed due to excessive high winds.

The Queensferry Crossing has also been closed to double decker buses, while the Kessock Bridge is closed to high-sided vehicles.

The Clackmannanshire Bridge remains closed to high vehicles.

Meanwhile, the A9 Dornoch Bridge has been completely closed, as has the Forth Road Bridge.

Image source, Getty Images

Storm Floris has caused the closure of a number of festival venues, with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and other major events having to be cancelled.

A spokesperson said: "We understand this will be disappointing, but the safety of our audience, performers and staff is our top priority."

The Fringe By The Sea, external festival in North Berwick was suspended until tomorrow.

The Pittenweem Arts Festival in Fife was also cancelled.

Edinburgh International Festival events, including the ceilidh sessions, were cancelled after Edinburgh City Council closed Princes Street Gardens.

In better news, the Pleasance Courtyard at the Festival fringe - which was forced to shutdown this afternoon - will reopen from 7.30pm allowing a plethora of shows to go ahead.

Let's bring you some of the latest figures coming to us from Northern Ireland, where 530 properties remain without power - including about 100 homes in the Articlave area near Coleraine.

In the Republic of Ireland, about 10,000 properties were left without power at one stage, but most have now been restored.

About 2,700 homes, farms and businesses were without power as of 17:00 local time.

Strong winds from Storm Floris are affecting ferry routes in the Irish sea between the Isle of Man and the north-west of England.

The Isle of Man's Steam Packet Company says its flagship vessel, Manxman, has had its evening journey to Heysham and overnight return cancelled.

The Steam Packet Company also told passengers that trips will likely take 30 minutes longer than usual - adding that passengers wishing to change or amend their trips from Monday can do so free of charge.

Ben Rich
Lead weather presenter

The strongest winds are now affecting the north-east of Scotland.

A gust of 82mph was recorded at Wick, Caithness, before 19:00 – the strongest gust recorded in the UK so far today, away from mountain sites.

Winds are also picking up across Orkney with gusts of 80mph or more possible over the next few hours. Shetland will also turn very windy overnight, with outbreaks of heavy rain continuing too.

The Met Office amber warning covering most northern and central areas of Scotland remains valid until 23:00.

Image source, EPA

An update from ScotRail now, which says disruption is expected to continue into Tuesday.

"The damage caused by the storm has been extensive, including trees falling on to overhead wires and tracks," it says.

ScotRail adds that disruptive weather is ongoing and inspections will need to be carried out once the storm has passed.

Some checks will have to take place during daylight hours tomorrow, so disruption is expected on Tuesday morning.

Passengers are being advised to check before they travel.

Image source, Reuters

With poor driving conditions on many of Scotland's roads, Police Scotland and the AA have got some key tips for motorists.

• Extra caution should be taken by all road users
• Plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel
• Keep both hands on the wheel, especially on open roads and motorways
• Be mindful of high-sided vehicles and cyclists who may be more affected by gusts
• Watch out for fallen branches or debris, particularly in rural areas - these could be tell-tale signs of a fallen tree ahead
• Check the weather forecast, particularly in rural areas
• Pack snacks and warm blankets in your car
• Take plenty of fluids
• Carry a fully charged mobile phone to call for help if you get into difficulty

Find out more from Police Scotland , externalhere.

Much of Scotland is under an amber wind warning - meaning there's a danger to life - until 23:00 BST tonight.

The affected area stretches from the Central Belt to the north coast of Scotland.

The rest of Scotland is covered by a yellow weather warning until 23:59 this evening.

Warning zones also cover parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales and the north of England.

In the last few moments, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has also issued two severe flood warnings for:

• River Strath Oykel in northern Scotland
• The Churchill Barriers - four causeways in the Orkney islands

Image source, Reuters

The latest from Scottish & Southern Electricity Network (SSEN) is that 43,536 homes in Scotland are off supply.

SSEN says 9,000 homes have been reconnected so far.

Aberdeenshire Council is strongly advising people not to try to remove fallen trees from roads, saying the intensity of the winds poses a real safety risk.

The council said earlier it had been dealing with a number of fallen trees affecting the roads network, but that, given the strong winds and dangerous conditions, all its teams are returning to depots on safety grounds.

Much of Scotland is still covered by an amber wind warning, with the Met Office warning that flying debris could cause injuries or pose a danger to life - you can read advice on how to stay safe here.

Image source, Network Rail

Network Rail has been dealing with all sorts of unusual items blown on to railway tracks during the very windy weather.

One of the latest is a garden gazebo - complete with lights - found on the railway in Huyton, Merseyside.

"Always tie down large items if you live near the railway - they can disrupt train services," Network Rail says.

• Here are some more tips on what to do before, during and after a storm

More than a dozen cows have been seen running through a street in Carfin, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, after a fence was blown off by the storm.

You can hear them mooing, so make sure your audio is turned on.

Image source, Getty Images

More from meteorologist Clare Nasir, who has told BBC Radio 4 how "exceptional" Storm Floris is.

It's only the sixth named storm in August since the naming system was introduced in 2015 - and, as we mentioned earlier, storms are only named when they're expected to bring significant disruption to daily life.

She adds that even if wind speeds are a bit lower, summer storms can have more of an impact, because "during the summer months, we have more temporary structures up like festivals".

On top of that, "leaves are in full leaf, branches can break quite easily... they can block drains which causes flooding".

Meteorologist Clare Nasir tells Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme that Storm Floris came from a deep area of low pressure which developed across the Atlantic.

"It became what we call a weather bomb or explosive cyclogenesis where the central pressure of the storm fell by 24 millibars - that's what we define as a weather bomb."

The term "bomb cyclone" is an unofficial term used by meteorologists to describe these rapidly intensifying low-pressure systems.

That's why there have been strong winds affecting the UK, she says.

"Currently the centre of the low is just to the north-west of Orkney, so the strongest winds are circulating very close to that and we're seeing severe gales.

"And obviously those gusts are even higher across Caithness, Sutherland and Aberdeenshire, and further north across Shetland as well."