Scotland storms disrupt Edinburgh flights, roads and schools

Storms and flash flooding caused same-day disruption across central Scotland on Thursday, affecting flights, roads, schools and rail services as a yellow weather warning remained in force.

Flights disrupted at Edinburgh Airport

Edinburgh Airport reported delays and diversions as thunderstorms moved across the country. Flights were reportedly rerouted to other UK and Irish airports, and passengers were told to check directly with their airline before travelling.

The airport disruption was one of the first signs of the wider impact from the storm system. It came as the weather remained unstable across Scotland after a period of hot conditions.

For passengers, the immediate effect was uncertainty over departures and arrivals during the morning rush. The advice from the airport was to verify travel plans before setting out, especially for anyone connecting through Edinburgh.

Flooding on the M90

Road users were also affected. A slip road on the M90 near the Queensferry Crossing flooded and was closed, adding another layer of disruption on a major route around Edinburgh.

The flooded section created a hazard for drivers using the corridor, which is a key link for commuters and cross-city traffic. The closure came during a period when heavy rain and surface water were already causing problems in parts of central Scotland.

With the weather warning still active, the road impact underlined how quickly the storms were affecting more than one transport network at the same time.

School closure in Fife

Education was hit as well. Inverkeithing High School in Fife closed because of flooding, affecting pupils, parents and staff during the morning.

The closure showed that the disruption was not limited to transport. Local services had to respond quickly as the storm conditions spread into day-to-day school operations.

For families, the impact was immediate and practical: arrangements for travel, drop-off and the school day changed before the morning was underway.

Rail services also hit

Rail passengers faced further problems. ScotRail services around Edinburgh were disrupted by signalling problems in the Wallyford area after thunderstorms, leading to cancellations and replacement bus arrangements.

Separate storm-related damage also affected Glasgow Central services, with overhead wire problems causing more cancellations and knock-on disruption on routes serving the city.

That meant the weather was simultaneously hitting air, road and rail travel across the central belt. The disruption was not confined to one city or one operator, and it spread into both Edinburgh and Glasgow services.

Weather warning in force

The Met Office had a yellow weather warning in force for Scotland during the disruption. That warning reflected the risk from thunderstorms and flash flooding, which had already begun to affect transport and local services by the morning.

The conditions followed a period of unstable weather, with storm activity visible across Scotland and flood alerts in place from SEPA. The result was a broad public-impact event rather than a single isolated closure.

What to watch next

The scale of the disruption was still developing at publication time. Further updates were expected from Edinburgh Airport, Transport Scotland or road operators on the M90 corridor, Fife Council on school disruption, and ScotRail or Network Rail on service recovery.

The main unresolved questions were how many flights were delayed or diverted, whether the M90 slip road had reopened later in the day, whether more schools were affected, and how quickly rail services were restored.

Travellers were being advised to follow live updates before setting out, particularly where flights, rail connections and road conditions could still change later in the day.