Power Restored to 700,000 as Winds Threaten Repairs

About 90,000 properties across northern parts of the UK were still without electricity on Monday, days after storms Austen and Boelo swept through in quick succession. The Energy Networks Association said network operators had restored power to roughly 700,000 customers over the weekend, but repair work has been constrained by sustained high winds. Gusts reached 50 to 70mph across wide areas and topped 85mph in northern Scotland.

The sequence of disruptions began Friday, when Storm Austen struck. Storm Boelo followed closely behind, bringing travel disruption, flooding, event cancellations and power cuts. Two men died after being struck by falling trees, a 60-year-old in Dumfries and Galloway and a man in his 20s in Finchley, north London. Lawrence Slade, chief executive of the Energy Networks Association, told the BBC's Today programme that the back-to-back systems complicated the response. "It certainly was a tough one. One of the problems was how quickly Boelo followed after Austen," he said.

Slade said crews could not safely replace poles or restring wires while the weather system remained in place. "Until that weather system passes we can't safely get engineers out to replace poles, to get wires back up etc.," he said. Flooding added to the damage. Emergency services attended a flooded care home in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, on Sunday evening, and Police Scotland said everyone there was accounted for. In Largs town centre, floodwater moved through the streets, and staff at the Tha-Tien-Thai restaurant posted video of a flooded kitchen with the caption "There is nothing left." The business said it would remain closed for the foreseeable future.

Transport links were also affected. Flights were diverted from Leeds Bradford airport and others were cancelled, while most train services were returning to normal with operators advising passengers to check before travelling. Sunday racing at Aintree was abandoned because of the wind.

Scotland's first minister, John Swinney, met senior politicians, emergency teams and forecasters on Sunday to review the response. He posted on X on Monday: "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."

The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings. The first runs from 6pm Monday until 3am Tuesday and covers western coastal areas from Cornwall to south-west Scotland, with gusts of up to 65mph expected on exposed coasts along with heavy rain. The second covers most of Scotland from 3am to 9pm Tuesday, with winds of 50 to 60mph expected widely and gusts reaching 70mph in the far north. Forecasters said travel cancellations, road closures and additional power cuts are possible under that warning.