Storm Boelo triggers 70 flood alerts and cancels London Diwali
- Storm Boelo is the second named storm to hit the UK this week.
- Met Office amber warnings are in place for Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England.
- Major events including London's Diwali on the Square have been cancelled.
- The Environment Agency has issued 58 flood alerts and 12 flood warnings.
- A new yellow warning for damaging winds is expected on Tuesday.
Storm Boelo hit the United Kingdom this weekend as the second named storm in as many days, following the arrival of Storm Austen on Friday. Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said, "Storm Boelo will be felt across the UK this weekend, with the strongest winds and greatest potential for disruption in the north".
Storm Boelo will be felt across the UK this weekend, with the strongest winds and greatest potential for disruption in the north.
Met Office issues amber wind and rain warnings
The Met Office issued amber and yellow weather warnings across the United Kingdom as the storm system moved across the region. An amber wind warning covers mainland Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, and the far north of England down to Carlisle from 9 p.m. Saturday to 9 p.m. Sunday.
A separate amber wind warning remains in effect for the north-east of Northern Ireland from 9 p.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday.
A yellow wind warning for parts of Northern Ireland stays in force from 10 a.m. until midday on Sunday. A yellow warning for heavy rain also covers Wales and parts of western and southern England until 11 p.m. Saturday.
High wind speeds and heavy rainfall recorded
Heavy rainfall since 8 a.m.
Environment Agency issues flood alerts and warnings
The Environment Agency issued 42 flood alerts and six flood warnings across England by 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
By 8 p.m. Saturday, the agency increased these totals to 58 flood alerts and 12 flood warnings.
The warnings cover New Brighton, the Cumbrian coastline, and Lee’s Bridge at Astley Bridge.
Public events cancelled and tourist sites closed
Visit Liverpool cancelled the River of Light event, and London’s annual Diwali on the Square celebrations for Sunday were cancelled on the recommendation of health and safety experts.
Health and safety experts recommended the cancellations.
Edinburgh Castle and the Fountains Abbey estate in North Yorkshire also announced closures for Sunday.
The Fountains by Floodlight event at the Fountains Abbey estate was among those cancelled.
Travel delays and flight cancellations reported
Dublin Airport reported significant travel disruption by 4 p.m. Saturday.
Airlines cancelled nine outbound and 10 inbound flights due to weather issues.
Six inbound flights performed go-arounds as a result of the conditions.
Recovery from Storm Austen and future weather outlook
The United Kingdom continues to recover from the impact of Storm Austen, which caused 31,000 homes in the South West to be without power on Friday.
At one stage on Friday, 31,000 homes in the South West lacked power, and part of the historic West Pier in Brighton collapsed into the sea.
The National Grid restored power to 131,225 properties in south-west England by 7 p.m. Saturday.
Looking ahead, the Met Office issued a yellow warning for strong winds with potentially damaging gusts.
This warning remains in effect from 3 a.m. Tuesday until midnight.
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