Some rail lines set to close as Scotland braces itself for Storm Boelo: what shuts and when

Which lines close, and when

ScotRail says Network Rail has confirmed these closures as a precaution, in its notice updated on Friday:

Glasgow Central to Ayr: closed between Kilwinning and Ayr from 9pm on Saturday 24 October.

Glasgow Queen Street to Oban and Mallaig: closed between Crianlarich and Oban and between Fort William and Mallaig from around 10pm on Saturday.

Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh: closed between Achnashellach and Kyle of Lochalsh from the start of service on Sunday 25 October.

Inverness to Wick and Thurso: closed between Helmsdale and Wick and Thurso from the start of service on Sunday.

None of these lines reopens until Network Rail has inspected it for flooding, fallen trees, debris and damage. Mark Ilderton, ScotRail's service delivery director, said: "It's important to stress that the planned reopening times are subject to safety checks being completed, so we'd encourage customers to make sure they have the latest version of the ScotRail app and check their journey before setting off."

Slower trains across much of the network

Most of Scotland's network stays open, but ScotRail expects reduced speed limits across much of it from late on Saturday night and all through Sunday. That means longer journeys, delays and possibly cancellations. Restrictions may stay on the Far North Line between Inverness and Wick and Thurso into Monday morning.

ScotRail released a new version of its app on Friday and asks travellers to update it and check their journey on the app, the website or its social media channels before setting off.

What your ticket covers

If you hold a ticket for Saturday 24 or Sunday 25 October, ScotRail says you can travel on any of its services on Saturday instead, or use the ticket once routes reopen after the storm, including on Monday 26 October.

The warnings: amber from 9pm on Saturday

The Met Office's amber wind warning runs from 9pm on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday for the Highlands and Western Isles, Grampian, Central, Tayside and Fife, Strathclyde, and Dumfries, Galloway, Lothian and the Borders. In England they cover Durham, Northumberland, Cumbria, Lancashire, Blackpool and North Yorkshire. In Northern Ireland, County Antrim and County Londonderry are under amber from 9pm on Saturday until 10am on Sunday.

A wider yellow wind warning starts at midday on Saturday (Northern Ireland's began at 10am), and parts of Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perth and Kinross also have a yellow rain warning from 9pm on Saturday to 3pm on Sunday. A separate yellow wind warning is already out for Tuesday 27 October across much of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland. Amber means be prepared for disruption, not a red warning. Our Storm Boelo page follows every warning as the Met Office updates it.

The clocks go back at 2am on Sunday, during the amber window, so check the time on any device that doesn't change by itself. Our clocks guide covers which ones.

Power cuts: what our tracker shows

On Saturday morning, well before Boelo's amber warning starts at 9pm, our tracker counted 408 power cuts across Britain's six electricity networks, with 25,075 homes off on the five networks that publish a count. The biggest share, 185 cuts and 17,713 of those homes, was in National Grid's area of the Midlands, South West England and South Wales, not Scotland. SP Energy Networks, which covers central and southern Scotland as well as Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales, listed 11 across that whole area.

The live power-cut tracker updates through the night as the storm moves in.

If the power goes

In Great Britain, call 105 free to report or ask about a power cut; in Northern Ireland, call NIE Networks on 03457 643 643. Use a torch rather than candles, save 105 in your phone, and if someone at home relies on powered medical equipment, check whether they can join the Priority Services Register. Our power cut guide has the rest, and you can join the free Home Alerts list, which will show power cuts and weather and flood warnings for your postcode when it opens.