Manchester Piccadilly Storm Gerrit rail latest with travel chaos across Scotland due to rain and strong winds

Rail passengers are being urged not to travel to Scotland due to the chaos caused by Storm Gerrit's rain and strong winds. Gales have reached more than 80mph north of the border.

In a post on X just after 4pm on Wednesday, Manchester Piccadilly said: "Due to heavy rain flooding the railway, all services towards Scotland are subject to delay and cancellation. Passengers are advised not to travel today on this route. We are sorry for the disruption caused. Please check before you travel."

Avanti West Coast said its route to Scotland is impassable due to flooding between Lockerbie and Carlisle, with all services to and from London terminating at Preston with passengers sharing images of the packed Lancashire station. Passengers have been told their tickets will be valid for travel on Thursday and Friday.

Successive yellow weather warnings are in place for Greater Manchester, first for rain until 6pm and then for wind from 6pm until 3am - although the region is expected to escape the worst of the conditions.

That appears to be north of the border, where the wind and rain saw some 27,000 properties lose power. It also led to Scottish Premiership matches being called off, including Rangers' meeting with Ross County in Glasgow, with the latter unable to make the trip due to conditions on the roads.

However in England conditions were such that 18 British Airways flights were cancelled heading to or from Heathrow, including return domestic trips to Manchester, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Jersey.