a large tree that has fallen over in a yard

Storm Boelo Kills Two, Cuts Power Across UK

scienceOct 28, 2026·375 words·3 min read

Two men have died and hundreds of thousands of homes have lost electricity after Storm Boelo swept across the United Kingdom over the weekend, arriving shortly after Storm Austen had battered southern parts of the country on Friday. A man in his twenties was killed on Sunday when a tree fell onto a moving car in Finchley, north London, while a 60-year-old man died after being struck by a falling tree near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. He was later named as Richard Baines, the curator of Logan Botanic Garden.

Winds reached 85mph in western Scotland. The Met Office, the UK's weather service, had a wind warning for Scotland and parts of northern England. It asked people to stay inside if they could. The head of the electricity group said one problem was how quickly Boelo came after Austen. Workers could not safely fix power lines until the storm had passed. A weather expert said storms often come one after another.

The storms also brought floods, especially in the town of Largs in Scotland. One restaurant said there was "nothing left" of its kitchen. Some flights were cancelled, trains were late and a day of horse racing was stopped. A newspaper said a plane slid off the runway at Birmingham Airport. It also said a 1,000-year-old bridge was washed away. By Monday, about 39,000 customers still had no power. But more strong winds were expected in Scotland on Tuesday.

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