Edinburgh City Centre is likely to be very busy on tomorrow (Thursday, 21 August) due to several events taking place.
Alongside the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe Festival, AC/DC will perform Murrayfield Stadium and Hibernian FC will play Legia Warszawa.
Divisional Commander for Edinburgh, Chief Superintendent David Robertson, said: “With multiple events on in Edinburgh on Thursday, locals and visitors are advised to leave plenty of time to travel around the city.
“Transport is likely to be busier than normal so please plan your journeys in advance.
“An appropriate policing plan is in place and additional officers will be on patrol in the city.”
The Met Office has issued an AMBER Weather warning for WIND.As such, there may be a HIGH RISK OF DISRUPTION for road users in the following areas:
• Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth & Kinross, Stirling) • Grampian (Aberdeenshire) • Highlands & Eilean Siar (Highland) • SW Scotland, Lothian Borders (Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian • Strathclyde (Argyll & Bute, Eat Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire).
The AMBER warning is effective from 0600 hours on Friday 24th to2100 on Friday 24th January 2025.
This runs in conjunction with a YELLOW weather warning for WIND which is effective from 0000 hours on Friday 24th to 1500 hours onSaturday 25th January in the following areas:
• Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth & Kinross, Stirling) • Grampian (Aberdeenshire, Moray) • Highlands & Eilean Siar (Na h-Eileanan Siar, Highland) • SW Scotland, Lothian Borders (Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian • Strathclyde (Argyll & Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire) And a further YELLOW weather warning for SNOW which is effective from 0300 hours on Friday 24th to 1200 hours on Friday 24th January in the following areas: • Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth & Kinross, Stirling) • Grampian (Aberdeenshire, Moray) • Highlands & Eilean Siar (Na h-Eileanan Siar, Highland) • SW Scotland, Lothian Borders (Dumfries & Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian • Strathclyde (Argyll & Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire)
Storm Éowyn will move across the northwest of the UK on Friday, clearing to the northeast on Friday night.
This will bring a spell of very strong west to southwesterly winds, with peak gusts of 60-70 mph fairly widely inland, 70-80 mph in some areas, and 80-90 mph along more exposed coasts and hills (perhaps even higher in a few locations).
It should be noted that there may be a slight reduction in wind strength for a time as the centre of Storm Éowyn passes overhead, this most likely in parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland, before winds rapidly increase again.
Winds will gradually ease later on Friday.
General advice for road users:
• Plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel • All road users should consider if they really need to travel during adverse weather • Consider delaying travel until conditions improve • If you are travelling on the roads, prepare yourself and your vehicle for the conditions • Ensure your mobile phone is charged and plan your journey, including an alternative route • Have sufficient fuel, warm clothing, food and water in case you’re delayed • Do not ignore road closure signs – they are for your safety • Congestion caused by vehicles may restrict emergency services and recovery vehicles from providing essential assistance • Listen to media broadcasts, including radio, for updates Traffic Scotland radio player | Traffic Scotland |Traffic Scotland radio player | Traffic Scotland or visit Traffic Scotland | Trunk road traffic updates & route planner • Follow your local authority for the latest updates in your area via Facebook, Twitter/X or their website • Other information can be found on the Met Office and Ready Scotland websites. For public transport information visit https://www.traveline.info. • Follow @policescotland and @trafficscotland on Twitter/X for up-to-date travel information.
Wind
HGV and bus drivers should drive with extreme caution and be aware you may be asked to park at a suitable position by the police.
Drivers of vehicles vulnerable to being blown over should plan their route to avoid exposed areas or consider cancelling your journey until conditions improve.
Cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians should consider the risk of being blown over or into the path of other road users.
Snow/Ice
Keep well back from the road user in front. Stopping distances can be up to 10x greater than on dry roads.
Check your windscreen washer levels and effectiveness of wiper blades.
Check your vehicle’s lights.You must ensure your lights are clean and number plates are clearly visible.
Ensure your windows are completely clear before driving. Failure to do so can result in a fine.
Follow @trafficscotland on X for up-to-date travel information.
Wind
HGV and bus drivers should drive with extreme caution and be aware you may be asked to park at a suitable position by the police.
Drivers of vehicles vulnerable to being blown over should plan their route to avoid exposed areas or consider cancelling your journey until conditions improve.
Cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians should consider the risk of being blown over or into the path of other road users.
Rain / Surface Water
Drive to the conditions. Spray can reduce driver visibility.
Be aware of increased stopping distances. In wet weather, stopping distances will be at least double those required for stopping on dry roads.
Driving through areas of flooding can result in catastrophic damage to your vehicle. It may also result in the road becoming blocked with recovery required and may delay emergency services and road maintenance workers.
The government increases efforts to bring home travellers stranded abroad by coronavirus (COVID-19) with extra flights and 10 more airlines joining its scheme.
charter flights from Bolivia, Ecuador, Philippines and India to bring back thousands of Britons
10 new airlines join government’s scheme to get more British travellers back to the UK
FCO extends advice against travelling overseas for an indefinite period
The government is ‘ramping up’ efforts to bring home thousands of travellers stranded overseas by coronavirus with a new package of extra flights and 10 additional airlines joining its scheme to keep commercial routes open and get British people back to the UK.
From next week the government will start to bring stranded British travellers back from India with flights from Delhi, Goa and Mumbai. Passengers interested in these flights from India are advised to check the travel advice for India which we will be updating when booking for these flights opens.
The number of airlines signed up to the Government’s scheme to get Britons home now stands at 14 after 10 new airlines, including British Airways, Norwegian, TUI and Ryanair, joined Virgin Atlantic, Titan, easyJet, and Jet2 who signed up earlier this week.
Since Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced on Monday (30 March) that the government had reached an agreement with airlines, more than 1,450 British travellers have flown home on specially chartered flights.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “Travellers are facing an unprecedented challenge on a global scale, and I know people are understandably desperate to get back to their homes and loved ones.
“We are committed to supporting Britons getting home either through commercial routes we have helped keep open or through specially chartered flights. With more airlines signing up it should mean more flights available but also a fairer deal for travellers by providing more flexibility over tickets and costs.
Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps said: “We continue to work with airlines round the clock to reunite British citizens with their families and loved ones.
“With more airlines pledging support, this huge operation becomes a little easier, speeding up the process and helping ensure a greater number of people return home quickly and safely.”
Where it is possible to get back to the UK on commercial routes by any carrier, the FCO continues to encourage all British nationals to take such opportunities.
The Department for Transport is working closely with airlines to bring those with pre-booked tickets home, either with the airline they booked with or on alternative routes where available.
This includes airlines allowing passengers to change tickets between carriers, where permissible, and offering them the latest information and advice as the situation changes.
the 14 airlines that have signed up to the FCO plan are: Air Tanker, Blue Islands, British Airways, Eastern Airways, easyJet, Jet2.com, Jota Aviation, Loganair, Norwegian, Ryanair, Titan Airways, TUI, Virgin and Wizz
where commercial flights are available, we strongly urge all British travellers to take those opportunities
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises all British travellers to return to the UK now. Read our latest coronavirus travel advice.
Award-winning UK-based Japanese comedian Yuriko Kotani has teamed up with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to produce some special advice for fans travelling to the Rugby World Cup in Japan this autumn.
Don’t get caught out by local customs: advice to holidaymakers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office:
Every year British nationals risk getting caught out by local laws and customs when travelling overseas. From driving a dirty car in Russia, to wearing camouflage clothing in Barbados, travellers could end up with a hefty fine or may even be arrested if they are caught unaware.
According to new research issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, while 70% of people believe that researching local laws and customs would make their holiday more enjoyable, less than half would actually make this part of their preparations when visiting somewhere new. For those visiting places they had been to before, just 40% said they would do this research, despite the fact that local legislation and even local customs can change at any time.
In 2014, the following changes in local law were introduced:
fines were increased to $500 for swearing publicly in certain parts of Australia
new requirements were introduced for parents travelling with children in or out of South Africa
e-cigarettes are now banned from being brought into the United Arab Emirates
from January 2015 tourists must have passport valid for at least 60 days from expiry date of their visitor visa when travelling to Turkey
FCO Minister Mark Simmonds said: “It’s easy to throw caution to the wind when on holiday but it’s important to be aware of the local laws and customs before you set off. We want people to enjoy their holidays so we encourage them to be prepared. Laws and customs vary widely from country to country and visitors should respect them to avoid causing offence or even being arrested. Spending five minutes reading our travel advice may save travellers a lot of time in the long run”.
Just last year, two British tourists were arrested for swimming in the Emperor’s moat at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. This might sound like a bit of harmless fun, but their actions were the equivalent of attempting to break into Buckingham Palace – and being arrested in Japan for even a minor offence can mean remaining in custody for 23 days while awaiting an investigation.
Jaywalking in the USA, the Czech Republic and Poland; entering churches or mosques with arms or legs uncovered in Italy or Turkey; and leaving the beach still in swimwear in Mallorca and Barcelona; are just a few examples of common laws and customs broken by foreigners who didn’t research their destination before going on holiday.
How many cigarettes can you legally bring into Thailand? What equipment should you carry in your car when driving in France? What is appropriate attire to wear in public in Saudi Arabia? Wherever you are going, the FCO’s travel advice pages have a laws and customs section for each destination and are a great place to begin your research. Also take a look at our Local Laws and Customs visual graphic (below) for some interesting examples from around the globe.
