Storm Boelo: Travel disrupted and events cancelled as UK hit with wind and rain

Summary

Storm Boelo is bringing more wet and windy weather to large parts of the UK - a day after Storm Austen hit the country
Ferries in the Irish Sea are cancelled,some Scottish rail lines will close from 21:00, while in Ireland, some flights to and from Dublin were cancelled - here's a travel round-up
Meanwhile, a marathon in the Eryri national park in north Wales was called off, as well as a range of events in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland
One couple , stuck in Guernsey, tell us "it's been incredibly stressful" after their flight home to Gatwick airport was cancelled
The Met Office has issued six weather warnings covering much of the UK between Saturday and Sunday - three are already in effect, while amber warnings for wind begin at 21:00
This satellite image, shared by the weather agency, shows Storm Boelo as seen from space
Thousands of homes are still without power following Friday's storm, according to the National Grid

Are you affected by the storm?

Live Reporting

Edited by Charlotte Hadfield

New flood warnings for Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Merseysidepublished at 16:23 BST
Image source, EPA/Shutterstock
Image caption,
New Brighton, Merseyside, is among the areas covered by flood warnings
New flood warnings and alerts have been issued since this morning.
There are now six warnings in place, indicating flooding is expected, and 39 alerts, indicating it is possible. A warning is the more serious of the two categorisations.
The warnings cover:
- Cumbrian coastline from Gretna to Silloth including Port Carlisle, Skinburness and Rockcliffe
- Cumbrian coastline from Silloth to St Bees, between Allonby and Whitehaven
- Cumbrian coastline from Silloth to St Bees including Maryport, Flimby, Workington and Whitehaven
- Cumbrian coastline from St Bees Head to Haverigg, along the coast from North Head to Haverigg
- Irish Sea at New Brighton in Merseyside
- Lee's Bridge at Astley Bridge Central, Bolton, Greater Manchester
People in these areas are encouraged to avoid seafronts and harbours, as well as coastal roads, footpaths and carparks which may be flooded.
The three warnings we reported earlier have now been lifted.
Image shows Storm Boelo as seen from space covering UKpublished at 15:57 BST
This satellite image, issued by the Met Office, shows Storm Boelo as seen from space, covering the UK.
The weather agency has issued a number of yellow and amber warnings for wind and rain across the country on Saturday and Sunday. You can read more on these warnings in our earlier post.
Image source, Met Office

Northern half of UK expected to be worst affected by Storm Boelopublished at 15:52 BST
Annie Flury
BBC News
Strong winds and heavy rain are forecast to continue across the UK over the weekend as Storm Boelo moves eastwards, bringing the risk of travel disruption, power cuts and localised flooding.
The worst-affected areas are forecast to be across the northern half of the UK.
The Met Office has issued an amber wind warning for much of Scotland and parts of northern England from 21:00 BST on Saturday to 21:00 on Sunday.
In Northern Ireland, a second amber warning for wind runs across parts of the north of the region from 21:00 on Saturday to 10:00 on Sunday.
While the worst of Saturday's weather is forecast to be felt in areas covered by warnings, heavy and persistent rain is expected across larger parts of the UK.
Spray and surface water could make driving conditions hazardous, while further downpours increase the risk of localised flooding.
Strong winds are forecast to continue into Sunday, although rain should gradually ease across most of the country.
Sunny spells and blustery showers are expected elsewhere, while north-east Scotland is likely to see the most persistent rainfall.
Locals come together to help after beach cafe closed by stormy weatherpublished at 15:35 BST
Oliver Slow
BBC Wales News
Image source, Tafell a Tan
Locals have been helping out after a beach cafe in west Wales was forced to close following winds from Storm Austen - which hit yesterday - left it covered in sand.
The owners of Tafell a Tan in Llangrannog, Ceredigion, posted pictures of the "sandstorm" on Friday. They later showed people coming out to help the clean-up, including using a digger.
"Llangrannog at its absolute finest, thank you great people," they said.

Trains, roads and ferries disrupted by Storm Boelopublished at 15:19 BST
Image source, Getty Images
Trains
- TransPennine Express is encouraging essential travel only on Saturday and Sunday
- Avanti West Coast is advising people to avoid travelling north of Preston on Sunday
- LNER is advising people not to travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen on Sunday
- There are also service alterations on CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, Northern, ScotRail and Transport for Wales
Roads
- National Highways - which manages motorways and some A roads in England - has issued an amber warning for the north east and north west from midnight tonight until 16:00 tomorrow. It urges people to take extra care due to the risk of falling branches and wind-blown debris
- Meanwhile, the police in Scotland have warned of "hazardous" conditions and a high risk of disruption on the road network
- Traffic Wales is warning that high winds could result in restrictions in some places, including on the A55 Britannia Bridge. It is also warning of "poor driving conditions" on sections of the M4 due to high winds
- In Londonderry, Foyle Bridge will remain closed until further notice due to high winds, while police in Northern Ireland are advising drivers that traffic disruption is possible
Ferries
- Providers such as StenaLine, Irish Ferries and P&O Ferries have also cancelled a number of ferry crossings in the Irish Sea
Image source, PA
National Grid: 6,075 properties still without power in south-westpublished at 15:07 BST
We can now bring you a more exact figure following our earlier post on power cuts.
National Grid figures show a total of 6,075 properties are still without power in south-west England at the time of writing.
As a reminder, the distributer says over 117,000 properties have had their power restored since the start of the storm.

'It's incredibly stressful': Couple stuck in Guernsey after multiple flights cancelledpublished at 14:57 BST
Bernadette McCague
Your Voice
Sue Fairbrother and her husband Rob are stuck in Guernsey after their flight home to Gatwick airport was cancelled on Thursday.
The couple say they have missed their grandchild's birthday party after being faced with another cancellation yesterday, and they are now waiting for a flight home on Sunday.
"It has been incredibly stressful not knowing if our next flight is being cancelled without warning and then [being] given a random flight days in advance", Sue tells the BBC.
"We have missed our grandchild’s birthday party and numerous other appointments", Sue says, adding that she is "constantly checking the flight website to see if they have cancelled us again”.
A wet and windy day in London - even without weather warnings...published at 14:46 BST
Image source, PA Media
As we've been reporting, there are yellow warnings in place for wind and rain across much of the UK - with more severe amber warnings due to begin in northern areas at 21:00 BST.
None of the warnings cover London - but that doesn't mean it's ice cream weather in the capital, as these pictures show...
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,
A canopy of umbrellas on Oxford Street

Red marine warning issued as Dublin airport cancels flightspublished at 14:32 BST
Adam Mandeville
BBC News NI
A status red marine warning has been issued for parts of the island of Ireland’s coast by Irish meteorological service Met Éireann.
The warning covers Rossan Point to Bloody Foreland to Fair Head – all on the north coast of the island of Ireland.
Met Éireann says winds in these areas will reach violent storm force 11 at times.
Meanwhile, Dublin Airport says that, as of 12:00 local time, five outbound and four inbound flights have been “cancelled by airlines due to weather issues”.
They adds that “winds are forecast to increase as the day goes on, which may lead to some further disruption”.
Image source, Met Éireann
Thousands of properties still without power in aftermath of Storm Austenpublished at 14:08 BST
A map from National Grid shows thousands of homes and businesses are still without power after Storm Austen battered parts of the country yesterday.
The south-west of England in particular is still experiencing large clusters of power cuts. This includes: 141 properties without power near Beaminster in Dorset, 384 without power near Whimple in East Devon, and 168 hit by power cuts near Penhale in Cornwall.
National Grid says 117,320 propertieshave been restored with power supplies since the beginning of the storm.
Image source, National Grid

Some Scottish rail lines to close ahead of amber wind warningpublished at 13:42 BST
Catherine Lyst
BBC Scotland
Network Rail has confirmed that a number of routes will close as a precaution, while speed restrictions will be introduced across much of Scotland's railways.
As a reminder: The Met Office has issued an amber warning for wind over Scotland and northern England from 21:00 on Saturday to 21:00 on Sunday.
The following rail line closures are planned:
• Glasgow Central – Ayr will close between Kilwinning and Ayr from 21:00 on Saturday. After 21:00, a half hourly shuttle service will operate between Glasgow Central and Kilwinning in both directions
• Glasgow Queen Street – Oban / Mallaig will close between Fort William and Mallaig and between Crianlarich and Oban from about 22:00 on Saturday
• Inverness – Kyle of Lochalsh will close between Kyle of Lochalsh and Achnashellach from the start of service on Sunday
• Inverness – Wick / Thurso will close between Helmsdale and Wick / Thurso from the start of service on Sunday
Image source, Met Office
Foyle Bridge shut down due to high winds in Northern Irelandpublished at 13:28 BST
Adam Mandeville
BBC News NI
Image source, Getty Images
Police in Northern Ireland are advising drivers that traffic disruption is possible due to the weather conditions.
They also advise motorists to “take extra care” if they must travel and to reduce their speed “because of the possibility of surface water” and to avoid driving through flood water.
“It may be necessary to close some roads or put temporary restrictions in place - road users are reminded to adhere to road signs and any temporary traffic lights,” a police statement says.
The storm has also caused a number of road closures in the Republic of Ireland.
Meanwhile, in Londonderry, Foyle Bridge will remain closed until further notice due to high winds.

Wind gust of 72mph recorded on Scottish island of South Uistpublished at 13:11 BST
The strongest of the Storm Boelo winds are yet to come, but here are some of the more notable ones recorded around the UK so far on Saturday:
- South Uist - 72mph (115 km/h)
- Tiree - 68mph
- Magilligan - 65mph
- Aberdaron - 59mph
- Islay / Port Ellen - 58mph
- Capel Curig - 57mph
- Needles - 56mph
Events cancelled and attractions closed across Scotland and northern Englandpublished at 12:53 BST
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Edinburgh Castle, pictured previously, is one of the attractions that will close this weekend
Attractions are closed and events have been called off in parts of Scotland and northern England this weekend, with the storm expected to bring high winds and heavy rain.
Historic Environment Scotland is closing a number of attractions, including Edinburgh Castle on Sunday.
Meanwhile, City of Edinburgh Council says Princes Street Gardens, Lauriston Castle grounds, and Saughton Winter Gardens will be closed this evening and tomorrow.
In Ripon, North Yorkshire, the National Trust has called off its "Fountains by Floodlight" event this evening and says the whole estate will be closed on Sunday.
Darlington has cancelled its outdoor market today "for the safety of our traders and visitors", but says some stalls will still be available inside the market hall.
Artisanal markets in Quayside (Salford), Croxteth (Liverpool) and West Didsbury (Manchester) have also been called off due to high winds, the Makers Market announced. Others in Uttoxeter (Staffordshire) and Oswestry (Shropshire) may have to close early.
- See our previous posts on cancelled events in Northern Ireland and a cancelled Halloween festival in Paisley

Storm Boelo triggers string of cancellations and closures in Northern Irelandpublished at 12:37 BST
In light of the amber and yellow warnings kicking in today in, there have been a number of closures and cancellations across Northern Ireland:
- Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has cancelled its fireworks display at Ballymoney on Saturday
- Mid Ulster District Council has also cancelled their Halloween firework event which was due to be held at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena in Cookstown
- The Antrim Senior Hurling Championship final, which was supposed to be on Sunday, has been postponed until 1 November
- The Sunflower Trophy motorcycle race meeting at Bishopscourt on Saturday has also been cancelled
- A number of StenaLine ferry sailings between Belfast and Cairnryan, and Dublin and Holyhead have also been cancelled on Saturday
- Derry City and Strabane District Council said cemeteries will be open on Saturday and closed on Sunday, except for funerals. Recycling centres will be open on Saturday but closed on Sunday, while outdoor sports facilities, parks and greenways will be closed on both days
Strong winds already battering Northern Irelandpublished at 12:23 BST
Barra Best
BBC News NI weather presenter
Image source, DC/BBC Weather Watchers
Image caption,
A very wet start in Bellaghy in County Derry on Saturday
Gusts of 65mph (105km/h) have been battering the north coast of Northern Ireland on Saturday morning with a yellow warning in place from 10:00 BST.
The same area is expected to record gusts closer to 80mph (130km/h) later with an amber warning coming into place at 21:00 BST until 10:00 GMT on Sunday for coastal areas.
The storm has already disrupted ferry services between Ireland and Britain on Saturday and Sunday, with a number of outdoor sporting and Halloween events postponed or cancelled altogether.
A series of warnings are also in place in the Republic of Ireland where it is a bank holiday weekend, with runners facing strong winds on Sunday during the Dublin Marathon.

Recap: What warnings have been issued, and which ones are already in effectpublished at 12:07 BST
As we've just reported, there's now three Met Office weather warnings in effect with another three due to kick in this evening - including two more serious amber warnings.
In effect already
- A yellow warning for wind for Northern Ireland is running from 10:00 on Saturday to 12:00 on Sunday
- A yellow warning for rain stretches from the south-east to the south-west of England, across Wales and into north-west England. It runs from 11:00 on Saturday until 23:00 in the evening
- A yellow wind warning across northern England, north Wales and Scotland is valid from 12:00 on Saturday to 21:00 on Sunday
Coming later
- An amber wind warning over Scotland and northern England is valid from 21:00 on Saturday to 21:00 on Sunday
- In Northern Ireland, an amber warning for wind runs across parts of the north of the region from 21:00 on Saturday to 10:00 on Sunday
- A yellow rain warning also covers the Highlands of Scotland from 21:00 on Saturday to 15:00 on Sunday
Image source, Met Office
Yellow wind warning comes into effect over Scotland and parts of Englandpublished at 12:00 BST
Breaking
It's now 12:00 BST - and a third weather warning is now in place.
This one is a yellow wind warning across Scotland, as well as parts of northern England, the East Midlands and north Wales.
It will remain in place until 21:00 tomorrow.
The Met Office says it's possible flying debris and large waves in coastal areas could cause injuries and danger to life. It also warns of damage to buildings and trees, travel disruption and possible power cuts.

'Tough decision' as north Wales marathon cancelledpublished at 11:50 BST
Angela Ferguson
BBC Wales News
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Eryri National Park, formerly known as Snowdonia, pictured previously
Organisers of the Eryri marathon in Gwynedd, in north Wales, say they are "heartbroken" after having to cancel this year's event due to the stormy weather.
It was due to take place today but an assessment of the course deemed it unsafe due to wind, floods and debris from trees.
Volunteer Stephen Edwards has told BBC Radio Wales that they had to make a call by 18:00 BST on Friday at the latest because some runners were travelling from far afield.
He says: "It was a tough decision but we had to do it really because of the safety of the runners and the marshals that are out there even longer."
Winds may strengthen this afternoon, ushering in a rash of sharp thundery showerspublished at 11:37 BST
Louise Lear
BBC Weather
Storm Boelo is quickly deepening as it sweeps in from the Atlantic.
Expect a prolonged spell of widespread heavy rain to push east and winds strengthening. Gusts of 40-50mph are likely for many, 50-60mph along west facing coasts and 70mph further north, with the risk of 80 mph across parts of Scotland.
The rain will gradually clear later this afternoon but as the centre of the low pressure drifts east across Scotland winds may strengthen further and a rash of sharp thundery showers will persist overnight – so a very wild and potentially hazardous Saturday night is in store across the northern half of the UK.
Into Sunday and Storm Boelo drifts out into the Norwegian Sea but it will continue to bring very strong winds to much of the UK, but with the worst affected areas once again being across the northern half of the country.
Amber wind warnings for storm Boelo remain in force for most of Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and far north of England from 21:00 on Saturday until 21:00 Sunday. Warning updates are possible today.