The UK has been hit by another spell of severe weather as Storm Boelo brought powerful winds and heavy rain to Scotland, Northern Ireland and the northern part of England over the weekend.
The storm caused widespread travel disruption, power cuts and flooding, following closely behind Storm Austen. The latter affected the southern parts of the country earlier in the week.
The impact was particularly severe in , where gusts reached 85 mph (137km/h) at Machrihanish. Heavy rainfall also affected several areas, while fallen trees, flooded roads and damaged property added to the disruption.
The storms have also caused fatalities. A 60-year-old man died after being struck by a falling tree near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway on Sunday, 25 October. A second man, in his 20s, was killed when a tree fell on his car in north during the wider spell of the stormy weather.
The had issued weather warnings ahead of Storm Boelo, cautioning that strong winds and persistent rain could affect transport services, damage trees and buildings, and create dangerous conditions along exposed coastlines.
Storm Boelo was named by the Met Office on thursday, 22 October, as forecasters tracked a deep area of low pressure moving across the towards the UK.
The weather system brought strengthening winds and heavy rain from Saturday, 24 October. Yellow wind warnings covered Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England, with gusts of 50 to 65 mph expected in many places. Exposed coastal areas and higher ground faced the possibility of gusts reaching 70 to 80 mph.
the conditions were particularly challenging for Scotland. The Met Office recorded gusts of 85 mph at Machrihanish, while Orlock Head in County Down, , recorded gusts of up to 78 mph. Capel Curig in north Wales also experienced gusts of 84 mph as the wider storm system affected the country.
Heavy rainfall increased the risk of localised , particularly in areas that had already experienced wet weather. In parts of northern Scotland, forecasters had expected rainfall totals of 20 to 40 mm with 60 to 80 mmm possible in some locations.
The Met Office warned that the combination of rain and strong winds could make travelling difficult. and surface spray were expected to reduce visibility on roads, while falling branches and trees posed additional risks to motorists and rail services.
