Storm Boelo hits northern UK with 80mph gusts and travel chaos

Storm Boelo is battering the northern United Kingdom with fierce winds and heavy rain, triggering amber weather warnings and widespread travel disruptions.

The Met Office issued the alerts on Saturday evening, predicting gusts between 60 and 70mph for most affected areas. Exposed coastal locations face winds up to 80mph. The warnings, the second most severe level, ran from 9pm Saturday to 9pm Sunday for mainland Scotland and northern England down to Carlisle. A separate alert covered northeast Northern Ireland from 9pm Saturday until 10am Sunday. Yellow warnings for wind extend further south into parts of England and North Wales, as well as covering the rest of Northern Ireland.

Strong winds struck before the peak warnings. The South Uist Range in the Western Isles recorded maximum gusts of 75mph. The Highland and Eilean Siar regions also measured high speeds. Rainfall totals have been heavy since 8am Saturday. White Barrow in Wiltshire logged 72mm of rain. Cwm Dyli in North Wales and Inveruglas on the west shore of Loch Lomond both recorded 43mm. The Environment Agency issued 58 flood alerts and 12 flood warnings for specific locations in England by 8pm Saturday.

Boelo is the second named storm of the season. It follows Storm Austen, which brought strong winds to parts of the UK on Friday. Gusts reached 76mph at St Mary’s airport in the Isles of Scilly. Other readings included 74mph at Aberporth in southwest Wales and 71mph at Culdrose in Cornwall. Hundreds of homes in southwest England lost power after the earlier storm. The National Grid reported that power was restored to more than 131,000 properties by 7pm Saturday.

Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said the storm would be felt across the UK, with the strongest winds and greatest potential for disruption in the north. He advised people to stay indoors to avoid flying debris and crashing waves. Kelly urged the public to secure loose items outside, plan travel ahead, and monitor the latest forecasts.

Transport and leisure activities faced significant disruption. Dublin airport canceled nine outbound and ten inbound flights by 4pm Saturday. Six inbound flights performed go-arounds, with five landing on the second attempt and one diverting to another airport before returning. Network Rail shared images of a trampoline and a shed near the tracks, prompting a call for residents to secure garden furniture.

Several public events were canceled for safety. Visit Liverpool announced the cancellation of the River of Light event, which features illuminated artwork. Diwali on the Square celebrations in London, scheduled for Sunday, were called off following recommendations from independent health and safety experts. Edinburgh Castle and the Fountains Abbey estate in North Yorkshire also closed on Sunday. Fountains Abbey had planned to host its Fountains by Floodlight event.