A second major storm is set to strike the UK on Saturday, bringing wind gusts up to 80mph to Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, as thousands of households remain without power from Storm Austen the day before.
Storm Boelo will carry an amber weather warning from 21:00 BST Saturday through 21:00 BST Sunday across much of Scotland (excluding the Northern Isles), the far north of Northern Ireland and northern England. Wind speeds of 60-70mph are forecast across these areas, with exposed coastal regions potentially experiencing gusts of 80mph. The Central Lowlands could see disruption as strong winds funnel through the region.
The storm follows Storm Austen, which battered southern England and Wales on Friday with gusts exceeding 75mph. Austen toppled trees, blocked railway lines and roads, and knocked out power to thousands of homes. The National Grid restored electricity to more than 60,000 properties by Friday evening, but more than 10,000 homes remained without power. Part of Brighton's West Pier, an abandoned structure opened in 1866, collapsed into the sea.
ScotRail confirmed that some train services will be cancelled after 21:00 on Saturday as Boelo approaches. Travel chaos, further power cuts from wind damage and localised flooding are all possible as the storm sweeps across the country.
Heavy and persistent rain will affect larger parts of the UK beyond the amber warning zones. Surface water and spray could create hazardous driving conditions. Wind will continue into Sunday, though rain should gradually ease across most areas except north-east Scotland, which faces the most persistent rainfall.
Yellow weather warnings for wind on Saturday cover Orkney, the rest of Northern Ireland and northern England, with gusts of 55-75mph possible and isolated gusts potentially reaching 80mph.
A further area of low pressure developing over the Atlantic could bring additional wet and potentially very windy weather on Monday and into Tuesday, though whether it will be strong enough to receive a storm name remains uncertain. High pressure is expected to build later in the week, bringing drier and calmer conditions.
The BBC notes that consecutive storms are not unusual, particularly during periods of unsettled Atlantic weather when a strong jet stream helps rapidly develop windstorms by creating sharp temperature contrasts between warmer and colder air masses.