Two men were killed on Sunday when falling trees struck vehicles and pedestrians as Storm Boelo swept across the UK, bringing severe wind gusts, localized flooding, and widespread power disruptions. The Energy Networks Association (ENA) reported that more than 90,000 properties remained without electricity by 19:00 GMT on Sunday, with ongoing hazardous conditions limiting network engineers from safely starting restoration work.
In north London, a man in his 20s died at Dollis Road in Finchley after a falling tree crushed the car he was driving. Metropolitan Police officers were called to the scene at approximately 12:40 GMT, where the driver was pronounced dead. Emergency services deployed incident response officers, paramedics from the London Ambulance Service hazardous area response team, and a trauma crew from London's Air Ambulance. Chief Inspector Guy Ellwood, from the North West Command Unit, stated: "This is a deeply tragic incident and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the young man who lost his life."
Hours earlier in Scotland, a 60-year-old man was killed after being struck by a falling tree at Mid Kelton, near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway. In a separate incident in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross, police reported that two women were taken to hospital after a falling tree struck them around 12:50 GMT on Sunday.
The arrival of Storm Boelo followed closely behind Storm Austen, which hit the UK on Friday. ENA data indicates that a total of 838,700 properties across the country suffered power outages across the two storm events. Peak wind gusts on Sunday morning reached 85mph in Machrihanish in Argyll and Bute, and 84mph in both Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides and Capel Curig in north Wales. High winds continued to move eastwards across the UK throughout Sunday afternoon.
The Met Office maintained an amber wind warning across Scotland and parts of northern England until 21:00 on Sunday. A concurrent yellow warning covering North Wales, parts of the East and West Midlands, and northern English regions—including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne—also expired at 21:00. Met Office officials advised the public to stay indoors as much as possible, adding: "If you do go out, try not to walk, or shelter, close to buildings and trees."
Torrential rainfall triggered extensive flooding, with four flood warnings active in England and Wales and 17 flood warnings issued across Scotland. High rainfall totals accumulated in the Scottish Highlands, peaking at Cluanie Inn with 130mm of rain. Waves also battered coastal defenses along the New Brighton promenade in Merseyside throughout the weekend.
Coastal areas in western Scotland suffered major infrastructure impacts. Severe flooding inundated multiple businesses overnight on Saturday in Largs, where the main road to Skelmorlie sustained severe structural damage. In Gourock, strong winds and rising waters left a boat grounded on the side of a road, while residents in Girvan experienced continuous power outages throughout Sunday. Along the north bank of the River Clyde in Dumbarton, part of the A82 near Dumbuck Quarry was submerged. Dumbarton mobile phone shop owner Muhammad Zubair Ashraf reported that his business was flooded overnight, causing an estimated £5,000 to £10,000 in damage, leaving him "heartbroken" by the destruction.
Scottish government ministers and officials convened on Sunday afternoon to evaluate storm recovery efforts. A government statement warned that while weather conditions might ease temporarily late on Sunday, adverse weather could return over the coming days.
Widespread transport disruption affected travel across the UK. Police Scotland cautioned against non-essential road travel. Maritime ferry routes faced significant cancellations, while flights connecting Belfast, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dublin airports were grounded or delayed, alongside ongoing disruptions across the UK rail network.
