Clean-up and recovery operations are under way across parts of the United Kingdom after Storm Boelo brought powerful winds and heavy rain, killing two men, flooding communities and damaging property, while tens of thousands of households remained without electricity on Monday.

Around 90,000 properties were still without power on Monday, according to figures reported by UK media citing the Energy Networks Association (ENA). The outages followed a weekend in which approximately 800,000 homes lost electricity at some point as the storm battered northern parts of the country. Power companies restored supplies to hundreds of thousands of customers, although strong winds continued to hamper repair work.

Two men died after trees fell during the storm on Sunday. One was a man in his 20s whose car was struck by a falling tree in Finchley, north London. The other was 60-year-old Richard Baines, the long-serving curator of Logan Botanic Garden, who died in the Dumfries and Galloway area of Scotland.

Two women were also taken to hospital after being struck by a falling tree in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross, according to reports.

Further weather warnings issued

The Met Office warned that the unsettled weather was not over, issuing further yellow warnings for strong winds expected to affect parts of the UK on Monday evening and Tuesday.

Forecasters warned of gusts reaching around 65 mph in exposed western coastal areas and up to 70 mph in northern Scotland. Further disruption, including additional power cuts, travel delays and flooding, remained possible.

Authorities urged people to monitor official weather updates, prepare for possible power outages and keep essential supplies available, including torches, batteries and mobile phone power banks.

Coastal communities were also warned of hazardous conditions from large waves and sea spray, while motorists and passengers were advised to check travel information before setting out.

Flooding and transport disruption

The storms caused flooding and property damage in several communities, including Largs and Saltcoats in Scotland. Emergency services responded to incidents involving flooded premises, while some buildings were evacuated over safety concerns.

Fallen trees, debris and damaged road surfaces led to road closures, particularly in Scotland. Rail services experienced widespread disruption, with damaged infrastructure and flooding forcing closures and speed restrictions on parts of the network. Some flights were cancelled or diverted, while ferry services were also affected. Transport operators warned that recovery work would take time.

Scotland's government convened its resilience response arrangements to coordinate the response, bringing together ministers, emergency services, transport authorities and weather officials. Authorities urged residents to follow local guidance and check official channels for updates on travel and weather conditions.

Second storm in days

Storm Boelo was the second named storm to affect parts of the UK within days, following Storm Austen, which brought strong winds and heavy rain to southern parts of the country.

The Met Office had warned ahead of Boelo's arrival that exposed coastal areas and higher ground could experience gusts of 70 to 80 mph, alongside heavy rainfall capable of causing localised flooding and transport disruption.

With further unsettled weather forecast, emergency services and utility companies continued recovery efforts while urging the public to remain alert to the risk of additional disruption. (ILKHA)