Storm Boelo has left around 82,000 homes without power after battering parts of the UK with winds of more than 80mph, with further travel disruption expected on Monday. The storm swept across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England over the weekend, bringing down trees, flooding roads and forcing trains, flights and ferries to be cancelled.
A 60-year-old man died after being struck by a falling tree near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway on Sunday morning. Emergency services were called to the scene, but the man could not be saved.
Power outages and wind speeds
Thousands of households have been left without electricity, with engineers working to restore supplies as the strong winds make repairs difficult. Around 53,000 properties in Scotland were reported to be without power, while outages were also recorded across northern England.
Wind speeds reached 84mph in Argyll and Bute, with gusts of more than 80mph also recorded in other exposed areas.
Travel disruption and warnings
The Met Office issued amber weather warnings for Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, warning of dangerous conditions caused by flying debris and falling trees. Travel has been badly affected, with roads blocked, railway lines disrupted and ferry services cancelled. Several flights were also cancelled or diverted because of the weather, leaving passengers facing delays.
In Scotland, flooding hit areas including Largs and Saltcoats, while fallen trees caused problems on a number of major roads. The Scottish Government held an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss the impact of the storm and the work needed to restore services.
Ongoing impact and advice
Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville warned that disruption could continue into the start of the working week. She 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."
She added that although conditions could improve during Monday, further severe weather was possible early in the week.
Storm Boelo is the second named storm to hit the UK in recent days, following Storm Austen, which brought strong winds and heavy rain to southern parts of the country on Friday. The bad weather has also forced the cancellation of several events, including Liverpool's River of Light and London's Diwali on the Square celebrations.
People affected by power cuts can call 105 to report an outage, while those travelling on Monday are being urged to check their journeys before leaving home.
