Man killed by falling tree in Storm Boelo

A man has been killed by a falling tree in Storm Boelo, police have said.

The 60-year-old was not in a vehicle when he was hit on a minor road in Dumfries and Galloway, western Scotland, at about 10.30am on Sunday.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and a Police Scotland spokesperson said: “There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.”

The storm eased to the east on Sunday evening after pummelling northern parts of the UK with gusts reaching 84mph.

More than a third of the average monthly rain fell in 24 hours in Ross and Cromarty, the Scottish Highlands.

A total of 121mm was recorded when the area’s monthly October average is 330mm.

An amber wind warning remains in place until 9pm, having activated hours after the first named storm of the season, Austen, petered out from the south-west.

First Minister John Swinney met with senior politicians, emergency response agencies and forecasters to discuss the ongoing response, amid warnings that similar conditions will return early next week.

About 40,000 customers remained without power in Scotland on Sunday evening and about 26,000 have had it restored, the Government said.

Footage showed floodwater coursing around the town of Largs, North Ayrshire.

Staff at its Thai restaurant Tha-Tien-Thai shared a video of their kitchen over-run by water with the caption: “There is nothing left.”

It closed its doors for the foreseeable “due to larger flood restoration than originally planned”.

Dangerous buildings in Ayr, south-west Scotland, were evacuated by police, as well as a caravan park in Ballantrae, around 33 miles away.

Some flights were diverted from landing at Leeds Bradford Airport and others were cancelled.

Train journeys were also disrupted. Network Rail Scotland shared an image of flooding from the tracks to the platform in one Glasgow station and fallen trees above the lines near another.

Speed restrictions are in place across Scotland and several sections of its railways have been closed, the operator added.

Sandbags outside shop doorways in Largs after Storm Boelo passed through the area (Jane Barlow/PA)

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It came after Network Rail posted photographs of a trampoline beneath a train and a shed by the tracks, in a call for those living near rail lines to firmly secure their garden furniture.

Collapsed trees, cables on carriageways, strong winds and damaged surfaces prompted closures to major roads in Scotland.

Stuart Wilson, Transport Scotland, said “significant recovery work” is required before the network returns to normal.

Meanwhile Scottish Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Disruption to travel is likely to continue into tomorrow and I strongly recommend people check official sources such as the Met Office, Traffic Scotland, transport operators and local authority channels before setting out.

“While we expect some respite from the adverse weather during the day on Monday, there is a possibility of more severe weather conditions early on in the week and we urge everyone to continue to follow advice and heed any warnings.”

The amber Met Office warning zone includes Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England.

A fishing boat is stranded at Irvine Harbour in North Ayrshire after coming loose from its moorings during Storm Boelo (Jane Barlow/PA)

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It sits within a yellow wind warning zone that reaches further south and runs until 9pm.

Storm Boelo follows Storm Austen, which brought strong winds to southern parts of the UK on Friday.

Gusts of 76mph were recorded at St Mary’s Airport in the Isles of Scilly, with 74mph at Aberporth in south Wales and 71mph at Culdrose in Cornwall.

Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said it is hard to compare storm to storm because they affect different areas and “if a branch falls on your car in one, then you’re probably going to feel like that one was the worst storm ever”.

Storm Amy brought a gust of about 92mph and more than 100ml of rain to similar parts of the UK last year.

Storms often happen in quick succession, he said, pointing to storms Bert, Conall and Darragh appearing in about one week in 2024.

“If the atmosphere is ripe for storm, it tends to mean it’s ripe for a couple of storms, so it is a fairly common thing.”

Forecasters are monitoring another low pressure system moving in early next week.

It does not appear as potent as storms Austen and Boelo and there are no current plans to name it, but it will bring further wet and windy weather.

The country can expect a return to more dry and settled conditions after that, Mr Snell said.

Storm Boelo has brought a danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves and people should stay indoors as much as possible, the Met Office warned.

The Environment Agency had issued 12 warnings that flooding is expected for spots in northern parts of England as of 5pm, as well as 59 alerts where it is possible.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said 11 flood warnings and 11 flooding alerts were active as of the same time.