Winds Stall Repair of 90,000 UK Homes

Northern UK households faced continued darkness on Monday morning following the rapid succession of Storms Austen and Boelo. Approximately 90,000 properties remained without electricity despite weekend efforts to reconnect the grid. Forecasters warned that fresh gales would complicate restoration efforts further.

The Energy Networks Association reported that operators had restored power to roughly 700,000 customers over the preceding three days. Lawrence Slade, the group's chief executive, described the period as particularly difficult due to the short interval between the two storms. "It certainly was a tough one. One of the problems was how quickly Boelo followed after Austen," Slade told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Crews faced persistent winds with gusts reaching 50 to 70 mph, peaking at 85 mph in northern Scotland. Slade explained that engineers could not safely replace poles or raise wires until the weather system passed. "Until that weather system passes we can't safely get engineers out to replace poles, to get wires back up etc.," he said.

Milder conditions arrived on Monday, but the Met Office issued two yellow weather warnings. The first covers western coastal areas from Cornwall to south-west Scotland, running from 6 pm Monday to 3 am Tuesday. Gusts of up to 65 mph and heavy rain are expected. A second warning covers most of Scotland from 3 am to 9 pm Tuesday, with winds of 50 to 60 mph and gusts up to 70 mph in the far north. Officials noted that travel cancellations and further power cuts were possible.

Two men died after being struck by falling trees. Authorities identified a 60-year-old man in Dumfries and Galloway and a man in his 20s in Finchley, north London. Scottish First Minister John Swinney met with senior politicians and emergency teams on Sunday. On Monday, he posted on X: "My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the two people who have tragically lost their lives as a result of Storm Boelo."

Flooding affected residential and commercial areas. In Largs, a resident described floodwater in town centre streets as the highest seen in 36 years. At the Tha-Tien-Thai restaurant, staff shared video of a flooded kitchen, stating the business would remain closed while restoration work, larger than initially planned, was completed. Emergency services responded to a flooded care home in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, on Sunday evening. Police Scotland confirmed all occupants were accounted for and officers stayed on site overnight.

Travel disruptions included diverted flights at Leeds Bradford and cancelled services. Most train operations were returning to normal. High winds also forced the abandonment of Sunday racing at Aintree.