The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning covering 53 areas across Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland as Storm Boelo is set to bring strong winds and heavy rain on Saturday. The warning runs from 6pm on Saturday until 9pm on Sunday, with gusts of 70-80mph possible in exposed coastal areas and high ground.
Storm Boelo to hit northern UK
Storm Boelo, the second named storm of the season, is a separate low pressure system to Storm Austen, which is due to clear into the North Sea by Friday morning. The Met Office named the storm on Thursday, with many northern areas set to be affected by "impactful winds" on Saturday night and through Sunday.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: "Storm Boelo will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England over the weekend, impacting the opposite end of the country to Storm Austen."
Danger to life warning
Residents in affected areas have been warned to prepare for potentially hazardous conditions, with strong winds capable of generating flying debris that could lead to injuries and pose a "danger to life". There is also a chance of structural damage, including roof tiles being torn away from buildings as gusts intensify, the Met Office warned.
Travel disruption is expected across several transport networks, with road, rail, air and ferry services all vulnerable to delays and cancellations. Motorists may face longer journey times, while some roads and bridges could be closed for safety reasons.
Power outages and coastal risks
Power outages are another possibility, and any interruptions to the electricity supply could have knock-on effects on other services, including mobile phone networks. Along exposed coastlines, large waves and debris may be thrown onto seafronts, coastal roads and nearby properties, creating additional dangers for residents and visitors.
Bulmer added: "Gusts of 70-80mph in exposed coastal areas and high ground are possible, with 50-60mph gusts more widely. The strong winds will be accompanied by heavy rain, making for an impactful weekend of weather."
Full list of affected areas
The 53 areas covered by the warning include Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling), Grampian (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray), Highlands & Eilean Siar (Na h-Eileanan Siar, Highland), North East England (Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Redcar and Cleveland, South Tyneside, Stockton-on-Tees, Sunderland), North West England (Blackpool, Cumbria, Lancashire), Orkney & Shetland (Orkney Islands), Strathclyde (Argyll and Bute, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire), SW Scotland, Lothian Borders (Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian), Yorkshire & Humber (North Yorkshire), and Northern Ireland (County Antrim, County Armagh, County Down, County Fermanagh, County Londonderry, County Tyrone).
Bulmer said: "Severe weather warnings and forecast detail will continue to develop, so people should keep up to date with the forecast over the next few days."
