By Fionnula Hainey

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Train passengers are being told not to travel today or tomorrow due to the arrival of Storm Amy, which is set to bring wind gusts of up to 100mph to some parts of the UK. TransPennine Express put out an alert on Friday morning warning passengers that while services are running, there is “no guarantee” that they will reach their destination due to the severe weather . The train operator is urging passengers not to travel as services are expected to be hit by delays and last-minute cancellations, with no plans for replacement bus services. The first named storm of the season is expected to impact the north of the country from Friday afternoon, with severe wind and rain hitting much of the country overnight and throughout Saturday. As of Friday lunchtime, 10 weather warnings had been issued by the Met Office covering the whole of the UK. The weather agency has issued three amber weather warnings covering Northern Ireland and western and northern Scotland, with the first warning coming into force from 3pm today. Yellow weather alerts have been issued across the rest of the country, with a wind warning in place across the northern half of the country from 3pm on Friday to 11.59pm on Saturday, and another in place across the southern half of the country from 12am on Saturday until 7pm. There are also three yellow alerts for rain covering parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and the north of England. Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “Storm Amy will be an impactful autumn storm for many in Scotland and Northern Ireland, though impacts will also spread to northwest England and Wales, as well as a more widespread windy period for the rest of the UK.” He said areas covered by an amber warning could see “damaging” wind gusts of around 100mph on Friday evening, leading to “significant disruption”. He added that there is also a risk of flooding, with some areas expected to see more than 50mm of rain falling during a period of six to nine hours. TransPennine Express said services running between Manchester Airport and Glasgow and Edinburgh, and Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow, are subject to delays and short-notice cancellations. In a post on X, the train operator warned: “Even though there may be some trains running, there is no guarantee that they will reach their destination. There will no rail replacement buses running between these locations.” It said people are being “strongly advised” not to attempt to travel between Preston and Edinburgh from 12pm on Friday, and between Preston and Glasgow after 5pm on Friday. On Saturday, passengers are being advised not to travel between Preston and Edinburgh or Glasgow at any point during the day. Tickets for travel on Friday and Saturday will be valid for travel on Sunday, the operator said. It added: “If your train is cancelled and you are unable to complete your journey, you can apply for a refund from your point of purchase.” Other travel operators have also warned of delays due to the storm. ScotRail said several railway lines in northern Scotland will close from 6pm on Friday due to the conditions, while speed restrictions will be in place on all other routes from 7pm, with no replacement transport. The train operator anticipates that some disruption to services will extend into Saturday, and possibly Sunday, while Network Rail carries out safety checks for obstructions on the line and damage to any infrastructure. A number of ferry sailings between Cairnryan in Dumfries and Galloway and Larne in Co Antrim have been cancelled from midday on Friday.