Storm Boelo brings 80mph gusts and rail halts to northern Britain

31,000 households in the south-west of England lost power on Friday during the passage of Storm Austen. More than 3,700 remained without electricity on Saturday morning, a figure the National Grid tracks in real time. Storm Boelo, the second named storm of the season, is now moving in, raising fears that similar outages will occur in the north.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning, its second most severe level, for Scotland and northern England down to Carlisle. The alert runs from 9 p.m. on Saturday to the same time on Sunday. A separate amber warning covers the north-east of Northern Ireland until 10 a.m. on Sunday. These warnings cite a danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves. A broader yellow warning for wet and windy conditions covers the entire northern half of the UK from midday Saturday to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Travel disruption is expected across ferries and railways. TransPennine Express has advised passengers to make only essential journeys on Saturday and Sunday. Avanti West Coast has strongly urged travelers to avoid routes north of Preston on Sunday. The operators are taking these precautions as winds are forecast to exceed 80 mph.

Meteorologist Alex Burkill of the Met Office identified the winds as the primary concern. He noted that strong gusty winds will affect Northern Ireland, northern England, and Scotland, with conditions strengthening toward the evening. Although temperatures will sit slightly above the seasonal average, Burkill described the combination of wind and rain as making the weather feel pretty unpleasant.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham addressed the impact of extreme weather at a summit on Friday. He warned that the UK could face a winter of greater flooding. Burnham denied that the government was playing catch-up on civil preparedness. He stated that the nation is living in a world where unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common.

The storm follows a year of record-breaking conditions. The UK experienced its hottest summer on record, which included five heatwaves and 40 days above 30C. Human-driven climate change is cited as a factor in reshaping global rainfall patterns. Boelo's winds are expected to peak from Saturday evening. The wet weather should clear overnight in many areas, though rain will continue to affect Scotland and Northern Ireland.