A 60-year-old man was killed after being struck by a falling tree in southern Scotland on Sunday morning. Police Scotland confirmed the incident occurred near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway at approximately 10:30, with the man pronounced dead at the scene.
Severe weather conditions brought by Storm Boelo have caused significant infrastructure damage, leaving 161,400 properties without power by 15:00 GMT.
The Energy Networks Association (ENA) reported that, when combined with Storm Austen, which arrived on Friday, total power outages reached 838,700 properties. Repairs have been delayed as hazardous conditions are currently limiting network engineers’ opportunities to safely start work.
Storm Impact Statistics
- Peak wind gusts: 85mph in Machrihanish, 84mph in Stornoway and Capel Curig.
- Highest recorded rainfall: 130mm in the Scottish Highlands at Cluanie Inn.
- Flood alerts: Four warnings active in England and Wales; 17 in Scotland.
Transportation networks have faced widespread disruption, with authorities advising against unnecessary travel. Flights at Belfast, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dublin airports have been cancelled, while ferry and train services remain severely affected. Police Scotland warned that road journeys should be avoided.
The Clyde coast has suffered heavily from the storm. In Largs, the town centre experienced flooding, and damage to the road between Skelmorlie and Largs has been reported. A boat was pushed onto a road in Gourock, and local business owners have faced financial strain; in Dumbarton, shopkeeper Muhammad Zubair Ashraf estimated between £5,000 and £10,000 in damages after his mobile phone store was flooded. Including part of the A82 at Dumbuck Quarry in Dumbarton, roads across Scotland have been flooded. The sea wall at New Brighton promenade in Merseyside took a battering over the weekend. The main Skelmorlie to Largs road has been badly damaged and a number of businesses in Largs were flooded overnight on Saturday.
In a separate incident at around 12:50 in Aberfeldy, two women required hospital treatment after being struck by a fallen tree.
Met Office warnings for wind, which reached amber status across Scotland and northern England, were in effect until 21:00 on Sunday. Including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as well as parts of the East and West Midlands and North Wales, also expired at 21:00, a yellow warning that also covered other areas of the north of England. The strongest gusts have continued to spread eastwards across the UK on Sunday.
Officials advised the public to stay indoors and avoid sheltering near trees or structures. Adding: “If you do go out, try not to walk, or shelter, close to buildings and trees, the Met Office urged people to “stay indoors as much as possible”.
Scottish government ministers held a meeting on Sunday afternoon to review the storm’s impact and warned that further adverse weather could develop in the coming days.
