A 60-year-old man has died after being struck by a falling tree in Storm Boelo, police have confirmed. The incident happened on a minor road in Dumfries and Galloway, western Scotland, at about 10.30am on Sunday, and the man was not in a vehicle at the time.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.”
Storm eases after 84mph gusts
The storm moved east on Sunday evening after bringing gusts of up to 84mph to northern parts of the UK. In Ross and Cromarty, in the Scottish Highlands, 121mm of rain fell in 24 hours, more than a third of the area's average monthly October rainfall of 330mm.
An amber wind warning remains in place until 9pm, having been activated hours after the first named storm of the season, Storm Austen, subsided from the south-west. First Minister John Swinney met senior politicians, emergency response agencies and forecasters to discuss the ongoing response, amid warnings that similar conditions could return early next week.
Power cuts and flooding
About 40,000 customers were still without power in Scotland on Sunday evening, with roughly 26,000 having had their supply restored, the Government said. Footage showed floodwater sweeping through the town of Largs in North Ayrshire, where staff at the Thai restaurant Tha-Tien-Thai shared a video of their kitchen overrun by water with the caption: “There is nothing left.” The restaurant closed its doors for the foreseeable future “due to larger flood restoration than originally planned”.
Police evacuated dangerous buildings in Ayr, south-west Scotland, as well as a caravan park in Ballantrae, about 33 miles away. Some flights were diverted from Leeds Bradford Airport and others were cancelled. Train services were also disrupted, with Network Rail Scotland sharing images of flooding from the tracks to the platform at one Glasgow station and fallen trees above lines near another. Speed restrictions are in place across Scotland and several sections of railway have been closed, the operator added.
Recovery and warnings
Collapsed trees, cables on carriageways, strong winds and damaged surfaces prompted closures of major roads in Scotland. Stuart Wilson of Transport Scotland said “significant recovery work” is needed before the network returns to normal. Scottish Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Disruption to travel is likely to continue into tomorrow and I strongly recommend people check official sources such as the Met Office, Traffic Scotland, transport operators and local authority channels before setting out. While we expect some respite from the adverse weather during the day on Monday, there is a possibility of more severe weather conditions early on in the week and we urge everyone to continue to follow advice and heed any warnings.”
The amber Met Office warning zone covers Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, sitting within a yellow wind warning area that extends further south and runs until 9pm. Storm Boelo follows Storm Austen, which brought strong winds to southern parts of the UK on Friday, with gusts of 76mph recorded at St Mary's Airport in the Isles of Scilly, 74mph at Aberporth in south Wales and 71mph at Culdrose in Cornwall.
Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said it is hard to compare storms because they affect different areas, adding: “If a branch falls on your car in one, then you're probably going to feel like that one was the worst storm ever.” Storm Amy brought a gust of about 92mph and more than 100ml of rain to similar parts of the UK last year. Snell noted that storms often happen in quick succession, pointing to storms Bert, Conall and Darragh appearing within about one week in 2024: “If the atmosphere is ripe for storm, it tends to mean it's ripe for a couple of storms, so it is a fairly common thing.”
Forecasters are monitoring another low pressure system moving in early next week. It does not appear as potent as storms Austen and Boelo and there are no current plans to name it, but it will bring further wet and windy weather. The country can expect a return to more dry and settled conditions after that, Snell said.
The Met Office warned that Storm Boelo has brought a danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves, urging people to stay indoors as much as possible. The Environment Agency had issued 12 warnings that flooding is expected in parts of northern England as of 5pm, along with 59 alerts where flooding is possible. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said 11 flood warnings and 11 flooding alerts were active at the same time.
