Storm Boelo brings amber wind warnings and travel disruption to UK and Ireland
The Met Office has issued amber wind warnings for Scotland, northern England and north-east Northern Ireland as Storm Boelo arrives. Flights, ferries, trains and weekend events have been disrupted or cancelled.
- Amber wind warning covers Scotland and northern England from 9pm Saturday to 9pm Sunday
- A separate amber warning covers north-east Northern Ireland from 9pm Saturday to 10am Sunday
- Gusts of 60-70mph are expected widely, and up to 80mph on exposed coasts
- Boelo is the second named storm of the season, after Storm Austen
The Met Office put amber wind warnings into force at 9pm on Saturday as Storm Boelo, the second named storm of the season, reached the UK. One covers Scotland and the north of England down to Carlisle until 9pm on Sunday. Another covers north-east Northern Ireland until 10am on Sunday. Yellow wind warnings extend further south into parts of England and North Wales and cover all of Northern Ireland.
The forecaster expects gusts of 60-70mph widely in the amber areas, with 80mph possible in exposed coastal spots. Gusts of 50-60mph are possible elsewhere. The Met Office said there is a danger to life from flying debris and large waves, and that people should stay indoors as much as possible. Power cuts, travel disruption and damage to buildings are possible.
Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said the strongest winds and greatest potential for disruption are in the north. He advised people to secure loose items outside, plan ahead if travelling and keep checking forecasts and warnings. A gust of 75mph had already been recorded at South Uist Range in the Western Isles on Saturday.
In Ireland, Met Éireann issued orange and yellow rain and wind warnings for several counties, including an orange wind warning for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo from 14:00 Saturday to 09:00 Sunday. At Dublin airport, nine outbound and 10 inbound flights had been cancelled by 4pm on Saturday. Some Stena Line sailings on the Belfast-Cairnryan and Dublin-Holyhead routes were also cancelled.
Events were called off or postponed, including a fireworks display at Ballymoney, a Halloween fireworks event in Cookstown, Liverpool's River of Light and London's Diwali on the Square. The Antrim Senior Hurling Championship final was postponed to 1 November. Edinburgh Castle and the Fountains Abbey estate will be closed on Sunday.
Storm Austen brought strong winds on Friday, with gusts of 76mph at St Mary's airport in the Isles of Scilly. The National Grid said power had been restored to 131,225 properties in south-west England by 7pm Saturday, though hundreds of homes were still without power.
Why it matters
People in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland face risks to travel, power supplies and safety, and many weekend plans have been disrupted.
