Storm Boelo Leaves 22,600 Properties Without Power
Around 22,600 properties were still without power on Monday afternoon as a clean-up began in parts of the UK hit by Storm Boelo, according to the Energy Networks Association (ENA). The storm caused flooding and property damage across Scotland and northern England over the weekend.
Two men were killed by falling trees on Sunday: a man in his 20s whose car was hit in north London, and Richard Baines, 60, the long-serving curator of Logan Botanic Garden in Dumfries and Galloway.
More wind on the way
The Met Office issued a yellow warning for strong winds from 18:00 on Monday to 03:00 on Tuesday across the west coast of England, Wales and Scotland and eastern parts of Northern Ireland. Further power cuts are likely in those areas, it said, and people should have essentials such as torches and batteries ready. Coastal communities could see spray or large waves, and travel delays are expected.
A second yellow wind warning covers much of Scotland and parts of northern England and Northern Ireland from 03:00 to 23:59 on Tuesday. Winds strengthen through Monday and turn windier overnight as an area of low pressure passes close to Northern Ireland and north-west Scotland, with gusts peaking on Tuesday. Boelo is the second storm to hit parts of the UK in recent days, after Storm Austen.
Reconnecting homes
ENA chief executive Leo Slade called it "a tough weekend". Sustained winds of 50-85mph across parts of Scotland and northern England were slowing efforts to reconnect homes. "Until that weather system passes, we can't safely get engineers out to replace poles, to get wires back up," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. He said the power network was very resilient, but that a debate was needed on how much more investment is required to cope with further storms brought by climate change.
Marcus Reed, operations director at a home fragrance manufacturer in Lyndal, Cumbria, said his factory and shop would be without power until Tuesday evening. "To lose two days manufacturing and distribution is going to be really disruptive," he said, adding it was the busiest time of year before Christmas.
Wendy McKinney, whose bathroom shop in Largs, North Ayrshire, was flooded on Sunday, said the storm had been "devastating to local businesses". She said sandbags were left on pallets in the street only after flooding had started. North Ayrshire Council said it had distributed almost 300 sandbags in Largs and Saltcoats and teams had followed established resilience procedures, and that it would review flooding reports for lessons.
Travel disruption continued on Monday, and some schools in Scotland were shut because of power, heating or water loss, or damage.
Source: BBC News