Travel disrupted and events cancelled as UK hit by wind and rain
Storm Boelo follows Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, which brought strong winds to parts of the UK on Friday.
An amber weather warning is in place across Scotland, the north of England down to Carlisle and the north-east of Northern Ireland on Saturday.
Amber weather warnings have come into force as the worst of Storm Boelo could be set to hit parts of the UK.
Storm Boelo’s winds peaked from Saturday evening, leaving areas in the warning zone including Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England braced for gusts of 60-70mph and even 80mph in exposed coastal spots, the Met Office said.
Maximum gust speeds of 75mph have already hit South Uist Range, Western Isles, Highland and Eilean Siar, Scotland, on Saturday, according to the Met Office, which has also issued several yellow warnings for rain.
Gusts of 76mph were recorded at St Mary’s Airport in the Isles of Scilly, with 74mph at Aberporth in south Wales and 71mph at Culdrose in Cornwall.
Heavy downpours since 8am on Saturday has already seen rainfall totals of 72mm in White Barrow, Wiltshire, along with 43mm in both Cwm Dyli, just south of the Snowdon range in North Wales, and Inveruglas on the west shore of Loch Lomond, Scotland.
Hundreds of homes were still without power in south-west England after Storm Austen hit the region on Friday where the National Grid said power had been restored to 131,225 properties by Saturday at 7pm.
An amber wind warning, the Met Office’s second most severe, is active across Scotland, the north of England down to Carlisle until 9pm tonight.
The amber warning sits within wider yellow wind warnings which extend south into parts of England and North Wales and cover the whole of Northern Ireland.
The Environment Agency had issued 58 alerts for spots across England where flooding is possible by 8pm on Saturday, as well as 12 warnings stating that flooding is expected.
Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said: “Storm Boelo will be felt across the UK this weekend, with the strongest winds and greatest potential for disruption in the north."