Storm Boelo is bringing flooding, power cuts and dangerous winds to parts of the UK, with a series of wind, rain and flood warnings in place across England, Wales and Scotland this weekend.
The storm follows Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, which brought gusts of up to 80mph to parts of the South West. Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said: “People should prepare for the potential for disruption, particularly to travel and power supplies.”
Amber and yellow wind warnings
Much of Scotland and parts of northern England face the strongest winds, with an amber warning in place until 9pm on Sunday, October 25. The warning extends into parts of Lancashire, Blackpool, Cumbria, Northumberland, Durham and North Yorkshire.
A separate amber warning covers parts of County Antrim and County Londonderry in Northern Ireland until 10am today. Gusts of 60–70mph are expected widely within the warning areas.
A wider yellow wind warning covers Scotland, much of northern England and parts of the Midlands and North Wales until 9pm today. Another covering Northern Ireland remains in place until midday.
Journeys by road, rail, air and ferry could be disrupted, with delays and cancellations possible. Some roads and bridges may close, while strong winds could damage buildings and bring down trees outside the amber warning areas.
Yellow rain warnings and flood alerts
A yellow rain warning covering Wales and parts of western and southern England runs until 11pm on Saturday. Flooding could affect roads, homes and businesses, with spray and standing water making journeys more difficult.
Another rain warning covers parts of northern Scotland, including Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Perth and Kinross, until 3pm on Sunday. Further downpours could bring local flooding and delays to public transport.
The Environment Agency listed 13 flood warnings and 66 flood alerts at 10.17pm on Saturday. A warning means flooding is expected, while an alert means it is possible. Warnings covered locations in Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Somerset and Lancashire.
These included stretches of the Cumbrian coastline and communities near rivers and brooks. At Lostock, in Greater Manchester, the agency said high river levels were already causing flooding, with properties on several roads most affected.
Wider alerts covered locations across England, including rivers in the North West and South West, stretches of coastline and waterways in London and surrounding areas.
Flood warnings in Wales and Scotland
Homes and roads were already being flooded in parts of Wales as Natural Resources Wales listed five flood warnings on Saturday evening, alongside dozens of alerts. The warnings covered locations along the rivers Ely, Ewenny, Lower Clydach and Rhondda, with residents in affected areas urged to take action.
At Talbot Green, flooding to properties and roads was ongoing despite river levels starting to fall and the heaviest rainfall clearing. At Porth, rising levels on the River Rhondda prompted warnings that properties could flood, while low-lying land and roads were already affected.
Flooding was also expected to affect properties around Ewenny Village. Wider alerts covered river catchments and stretches of coastline, including Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea Bay and the Gower. Residents were advised to move family, pets and valuables somewhere safe and avoid walking or driving through floodwater.
Scotland’s environment agency SEPA listed 29 flood warnings and 11 alerts on Saturday evening. The affected locations included parts of Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Tayside, Orkney and the Western Isles, as well as Dumbarton.
SEPA highlighted particular concern about coastal flooding in western areas. River and surface water flooding remained possible through the weekend, especially in northern Scotland and the Upper Tayside, Upper Dee and Spey catchments.
More strong winds expected next week
The unsettled weather is set to continue into next week, with another yellow wind warning issued for Tuesday, October 27. It covers Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland and northern England from 3am until 11.59pm.
Further disruption is possible, although forecasters said uncertainty remained over where the strongest gusts would hit.
