Storm Boelo Targets Scotland and Northern England With 80mph Winds
The Met Office has issued amber warnings covering Scotland, northern England and northeast Northern Ireland starting Saturday evening.
By Hassan Okoye ·
Storm Boelo is set to strike northern parts of the United Kingdom this weekend with gusts forecast to exceed 80mph. The Met Office, the UK national weather service, issued an amber warning, its second most severe level, for Scotland and northern England reaching down to Carlisle. That alert runs from 9pm Saturday to 9pm Sunday. A separate amber warning covers northeast Northern Ireland from 9pm Saturday to 10am Sunday.
The forecaster has asked people to stay indoors as much as possible, citing danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves. A yellow warning for wet and windy conditions covers the whole of the north from midday Saturday to 9pm Sunday. A heavy rain warning applies to Wales and parts of western and southern England from 11am to 11pm Saturday.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said winds are the main concern. "They're really going to whip up some strong gusty winds across Northern Ireland, northern parts of England and also Scotland through the day," he said, adding that they would strengthen towards the evening. He said the combination of wind and rain would make conditions feel "pretty unpleasant".
Ferry and train services face disruption. TransPennine Express has advised against all but essential journeys on Saturday and Sunday. Avanti West Coast has urged passengers not to travel north of Preston on Sunday. The Met Office cautioned that power cuts could recur across the amber areas. During Friday's Storm Austen, 31,000 homes in the southwest lost electricity, and more than 3,700 remained without power Saturday morning, according to National Grid data.
Boelo is the second named storm of the season, arriving after Austen moved across the southwest of England on Friday. Winds are expected to peak Saturday evening before easing. Rain should clear overnight in many areas, though showers will continue in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The storm follows the UK's hottest summer on record, which included five heatwaves and 40 days above 30C. At a summit on Friday about the summer's record wildfires, Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned the country could face "a winter of greater flooding". He said "we're living in a world where unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common".
Human-driven climate change continues to reshape rainfall patterns and conditions around the world.
Source: The Guardian
