Storm Boelo has left more than 82,000 properties without power as it swept across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England over the weekend. The severe weather event, occurring on Saturday evening, followed Storm Austen, which had impacted southwestern England the previous day.
The Met Office issued an amber wind warning starting at 9 p.m. Saturday for affected areas. Wind gusts widely ranged between 60 and 70 mph, with exposed coastal locations experiencing speeds exceeding 80 mph. The island of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides recorded gusts of up to 82 mph, while Argyll and Bute and Snowdonia reported winds of 84 mph and 83 mph respectively.
According to the Energy Networks Association (ENA) Sunday morning, engineers managed to restore electricity to approximately 344,900 customers, but about 82,600 properties remained without power, including more than 30,000 in Scotland. The ENA noted that ongoing harsh weather conditions have hampered efforts to safely access certain sites and complete restoration work. Teams have been operating around the clock to repair faults and reconnect supply.
Transport systems faced disruption amid the storm. Network Rail Scotland reported flooding at a Glasgow station platform and fallen trees on railway lines near Dumfries. Speed restrictions were imposed throughout Scotland’s rail network, and some track sections were temporarily closed. Additionally, flooding caused the closure of the railway line between Preston and Blackpool North in Lancashire. Images circulated by Network Rail showed unsecured items such as a trampoline and a shed near the tracks, with officials urging residents close to rail lines to secure loose objects amid strong winds.
Flights were also affected, with hundreds delayed or canceled across multiple airports including Dublin, Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.
The Met Office warned the public to secure outdoor items and remain indoors, citing risks to life from flying debris and high waves. Chief forecaster Jason Kelly emphasized that the strongest winds and related disruptions were concentrated in northern parts of the UK but cautioned that gusts of 50 to 60 mph and heavy rain could affect wider areas, potentially exacerbating travel and power supply challenges.
In response to safety concerns, several events were canceled. Liverpool’s River of Light festival and London’s Diwali on the Square celebrations were called off, while Edinburgh Castle and the Fountains Abbey estate in North Yorkshire closed their grounds due to the severe weather.
The Environment Agency issued 66 flood alerts and 10 warnings across England, highlighting the risk of flooding through early Sunday morning. Cumbria police reported local flooding and fallen trees blocking roads and urged cautious driving as emergency crews worked to clear obstructions.
The amber warning areas were surrounded by broader yellow wind alerts extending into parts of Wales, southern England, and the entirety of Northern Ireland.
Storm Austen, which hit earlier Friday, had already left hundreds without power across the southwest, with gusts up to 76 mph recorded at St Mary’s Airport in the Isles of Scilly. States of wind speeds over 70 mph were also observed at locations in south Wales and Cornwall.