80mph gusts expected as Storm Boelo targets northern Britain
The second named storm of the season follows a week of severe weather in the south-west, with rail operators urging travelers to cancel non-essential trips.
By Adewale Fletcher ·
Storm Boelo is forecast to generate wind gusts exceeding 80mph across northern Britain this weekend. The system is the second named storm of the season and arrives immediately after Storm Austen, which recently cleared the south-west of England.
The sequence of severe weather began last Friday when Storm Austen struck the region. At one point on that day, 31,000 homes in the south-west lost electricity. By Saturday morning, the National Grid map showed more than 3,700 of those properties were still without power. The Met Office issued an amber warning, its second highest level, for Scotland and England north of Carlisle. This warning covers a period from 9pm on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday. A separate amber alert is active for the north-east of Northern Ireland until 10am on Sunday.
Transport operators have adjusted schedules to manage the risk. TransPennine Express has advised passengers to avoid all but essential journeys on Saturday and Sunday. Avanti West Coast has strongly urged travelers not to head north of Preston on Sunday. The Met Office warned that the power outages seen in the south-west could recur in the northern amber warning zones.
Meteorologist Alex Burkill identified the wind as the primary hazard. He noted that strong gusty winds would affect Northern Ireland, northern England, and Scotland throughout the day. Burkill said the conditions would make the weather feel "pretty unpleasant," noting that temperatures would only be slightly above the seasonal average. The storm is expected to peak on Saturday evening.
The weather follows a year of extreme climate events. The UK recorded its hottest summer on record this year, which included five heatwaves and a record 40 days above 30C. Prime Minister Andy Burnham addressed these conditions at a summit on wildfires on Friday. He warned that the country could face "a winter of greater flooding" and stated that "unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common".
A large yellow warning for very wet and windy conditions covers the entire northern UK from midday Saturday to 9pm Sunday. A further alert for heavy rain applies to Wales and parts of western and southern England from 11am to 11pm on Saturday. Rain is expected to clear overnight in many areas, though precipitation will continue in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
