Two men have died as Storm Boelo and Storm Austen brought chaos to the UK over the weekend, leaving thousands without power. New yellow weather warnings for strong winds have been issued for Tuesday.
Fatalities and Power Cuts
A man in his 20s was pronounced dead after a tree fell onto a moving car in north London. Police were called to Hollis Road in Finchley at 12.40pm on Sunday, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. A trauma team from London's Air Ambulance, as well as ambulance crews, incident response officers, and paramedics from London Ambulance Service, were sent out.
Chief Inspector Guy Ellwood, from the North West Command Unit, told the BBC: "This is a deeply tragic incident and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the young man who lost his life." On Sunday morning, a 60-year-old man died after being hit by a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway, western Scotland, at around 10.30am. Two women were also taken to hospital after being struck by another falling tree in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross.
838,700 properties across the nation were hit by power cuts during the two storms. On Sunday evening (October 25), the Energy Networks Association, which represents operators in the UK and Ireland, said 90,600 customers were still without power.
Storm Impact and New Warnings
At 9pm on Sunday, the final weather warning from the weekend came to an end. Scotland experienced 84mph gusts and a third of a month's rain in some pockets from Storm Boelo. Northern Powergrid, which distributes electricity across Yorkshire and the North East, said 13,000 customers in the region were expected to be without power beyond Sunday night, while electricity had already been restored to 102,000 customers.
A yellow Met Office warning for strong winds and potentially damaging gusts is in place from 3am on Tuesday (October 27) to midnight for the far north of England, Scotland, and the far north-east of Northern Ireland. A second new yellow wind warning will enter effect in Scotland at 3am tomorrow morning, staying in place until 9pm.
The Met Office said to expect delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport, bus and train disruptions, delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges, and some loss of power and other services. A spokesperson said: "South to south-westerly winds will increase from the west during Monday evening with gusts of 45-50 mph inland and 60-65 mph along exposed coasts and over high ground. The strong winds will be accompanied by heavy rain at times."
Safety Advice and Recovery Efforts
The Met Office advised people on the coast to be aware of large waves, keep dogs on a lead, and call 999 and ask for the Coastguard in an emergency. It also recommended securing loose items outside homes, such as bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences, and preparing for power cuts with torches, batteries, and a mobile phone power pack.
First Minister John Swinney and senior politicians, emergency teams, and forecasters discussed the ongoing response on Sunday. Stuart Wilson, of Transport Scotland, said 'significant recovery work' is required before the network returns to normal. Scottish Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "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."
Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell noted that it is hard to compare storm to storm because they affect different areas, and 'if a branch falls on your car in one, then you're probably going to feel like that one was the worst storm ever'. He pointed out that Storm Amy brought a gust of about 92mph and more than 100ml of rain to similar parts of the UK last year, and in 2024, storms Bert, Conall, and Darragh appeared within about one week of one another. "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," he said.
Early on Monday morning (October 26), the Environment Agency issued 10 warnings that flooding is expected and 65 alerts where it is possible. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said 10 flood warnings and 11 flood alerts were in place, while Natural Resources Wales reported nine flood alerts were active at the same time.
