Man dies after tree falls during Storm Boelo as 161,400 homes lose power

Storm Austen brought strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the UK on Friday, with yellow weather warnings in force and forecasters warning of travel disruption and power cuts. A separate amber warning is in place for Storm Boelo, expected to bring further severe winds over the weekend.

The south-west of England was forecast to bear the brunt of Austen. Gusts of 60–70mph were expected across Cornwall and parts of Devon, with up to 80mph in exposed locations. A wind warning for the area was due to remain in force until 17:00 BST on Friday; a less severe warning covered much of England and Wales until 21:00.

A number of schools in affected areas closed or opened late. Rail cancellations and speed restrictions were possible, while some ferry sailings—including crossings between Pembrokeshire and Ireland—were cancelled.

A separate yellow warning covered parts of Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, where 20–40mm of rain was forecast, with up to 80mm possible in a few places through Friday. The Met Office warned of localised flooding.

Storm Boelo, named by the Met Office on Thursday, is expected to follow Austen across the UK at the weekend. The amber wind warning covers Scotland except the Northern Isles, as well as the far north of Northern Ireland and England. Gusts of 60–70mph are expected, with 80mph possible on exposed coasts; transport disruption and power cuts are also possible.

Yellow warnings extend across other areas, with gusts of 55–75mph likely in parts of Orkney, Northern Ireland and northern England. Wet and windy conditions are forecast across the UK on Saturday, with spray and surface water making travel difficult. Strong winds are expected to continue on Sunday, although rain should increasingly be confined to north-east Scotland.

The BBC’s weather report says storms can arrive in clusters when a strong jet stream helps low-pressure systems develop rapidly over the Atlantic. It also notes that named UK storms are more common in winter than in spring and early summer.

Update

A 60-year-old man died after being struck by a falling tree near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway as Storm Boelo brought severe weather to the UK, Police Scotland said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene at about 10.30am on Sunday. The storm had left 161,400 properties without power by 3pm, according to the Energy Networks Association (ENA).

The ENA said dangerous conditions were delaying repairs because they were “limiting network engineers’ opportunities to safely start the work”. Across Boelo and Storm Austen, which hit on Friday, 838,700 properties had experienced power cuts, the association said.

Wind gusts reached 85mph at Machrihanish in Argyll and Bute on Sunday morning, and 84mph at Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides and Capel Curig in north Wales. An amber wind warning covered much of Scotland and parts of northern England until 9pm; a yellow warning remained in force across other areas.