A 60-year-old woman has died after being struck by a falling tree in Aberdeen during Storm Malik, which brought gusts of up to 85mph to the Aberdeenshire coast on Saturday. The incident occurred in the morning, as high winds caused widespread disruption across Scotland and northern England.
In a separate tragedy, a nine-year-old boy was killed by a falling tree in Winnothdale, Staffordshire, on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, a man in Bradford escaped with cuts and bruises after his van was crushed by a tree. Falling trees and branches have also brought down power lines, leaving thousands of homes without electricity.
Police Scotland urged people to avoid travel unless absolutely essential. An amber weather warning for wind was in place along the east coast of Scotland and north-east England, with yellow warnings covering much of the rest of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and parts of northern England. A second storm, Storm Corrie, is expected to bring further high winds to Scotland on Sunday.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described the impact of Storm Malik as severe, warning that some in the north-east may remain without power over the weekend. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said nearly 90,000 households in Scotland lost power, with about 20,000 homes in the north-east expected to be without electricity overnight. Engineers from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) faced access issues due to fallen trees blocking roads.
Northern Powergrid reported 36,000 customers without power in Northumberland and County Durham. In Glasgow, residents near a landmark tower were evacuated due to safety concerns after high winds worsened its structural deterioration. Train services were suspended on several routes, including between Dundee and Aberdeen, and people were advised not to travel by rail between Edinburgh and Newcastle.
