Storm Boelo: Clean-up begins as thousands are left without power after flooding
Deaths and storm damage
Storm Boelo battered parts of Scotland and northern England, bringing flooding and damage to properties. The storm also caused trees to fall, killing two men on Sunday. A man in his 20s died in north London after a tree struck the car he was driving. Earlier, a 60-year-old man was killed in Dumfries and Galloway, in western Scotland.
Power restoration efforts
Around 90,000 properties remain without power. Leo Slade, chief executive of the ENA, described the weekend as “a tough weekend.” Slade said winds of 50-85mph across parts of Scotland and northern England were making reconnection work harder. He said the UK’s power network was resilient and had received investment to prepare for such conditions, but argued that more discussion was needed about further investment as climate change brings additional storms.
Business and school disruption
Marcus Reed, operations director at home fragrance maker Wax Lyrical, said the company’s factory and shop in Lindal, Cumbria, would remain without power until Tuesday evening. He said losing two days of manufacturing and distribution would be disruptive, particularly during the busy run-up to Christmas.
Five primary schools in Aberdeenshire were closed on Monday because of power cuts. Ellon Academy also shut after storm damage.
Key points
- Around 90,000 properties remain without power after Storm Boelo.
- Two men died when trees fell during the storm on Sunday.
- High winds are hampering efforts to restore electricity in parts of Scotland and northern England.
- Power cuts disrupted a Cumbria business and closed schools in Aberdeenshire.