Storm Boelo is set to bring strong winds and heavy rain to Greater Manchester this weekend, with gusts potentially exceeding 80mph and widespread travel disruption forecast across the north of the UK.
The second named storm of the season follows Storm Austen, which hit the South West on Friday (October 23) and caused power cuts affecting thousands of homes. The Met Office has warned that similar impacts could be replicated across the amber warning areas in the north this weekend.
Amber Weather Warning in Force
An amber weather warning is in place across Scotland, the north of England down to Carlisle, and the north-east of Northern Ireland on Saturday. Forecasters have said the north of the UK will face strong winds, with gusts potentially exceeding 80mph, along with widespread travel disruption to ferries and trains.
The National Grid confirmed on Friday night that engineers had restored power to more than 60,000 homes since Storm Austen began.
Tom Morgan, a Met Office meteorologist, said: "Yesterday's Storm Austen affected the far south of the UK and northern France and the Channel Islands, whereas today's Storm Boelo will be affecting the north of the UK."
Hour-by-Hour Forecast for Manchester
In Manchester, the Met Office has forecast light rain starting at 9am this morning, with wind speeds of 21mph. From 10am, the rain will get heavier and wind speeds will pick up, reaching 35mph by 12pm. These speeds will increase to 40mph by 1pm, before climbing to 48mph in the evening. The rain is forecast to slow down by 9pm this evening.
Temperatures will hover between 8C and 13C, although it will feel several degrees colder due to the wind and rain.
Impact and Outlook
Conditions are expected to stay "very wet and windy" across the UK on Saturday, but much of England and Wales can look forward to a brighter and sunnier picture on Sunday. Very windy conditions will persist overnight and through much of Sunday before gradually easing from the southwest later.
Gusts of 55-65 mph are likely widely, with some coastal and exposed areas potentially seeing gusts of 70 to 80 mph or more, although these strongest gusts are most likely across Scotland and the far north of England.
Morgan added: "With the strong winds, potentially gusts exceeding 80 miles per hour locally, there will be some widespread travel disruption across Scotland, possibly northern parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England as well through the next 24 to 36 hours. I'm expecting delays to ferry services, if not cancellations, perhaps some quite widespread impacts to travel on the railways and on the roads as well."
