Northern UK faces second storm of the season

Following a storm that struck the south-west of England on Friday, Storm Boelo is moving into northern Britain with winds forecast to exceed 80 mph. The system is the second named storm of the season and is expected to bring heavy rain and strong gusts to the region through the weekend.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning, its second most severe level, for Scotland and the north of England down to Carlisle. This warning is active from 9 pm on Saturday until the same time on Sunday. A separate amber warning covers the north-east of Northern Ireland from 9 pm Saturday to 10 am Sunday. The forecaster advised residents to stay indoors due to risks from flying debris and crashing waves.

A broader yellow warning for wet and windy conditions covers the entire northern part of the UK from midday Saturday to 9 pm Sunday. Additional rain warnings apply to Wales and parts of western and southern England from 11 am to 11 pm on Saturday. TransPennine Express has advised against non-essential travel on Saturday and Sunday. Avanti West Coast has strongly urged passengers to avoid traveling north of Preston on Sunday.

The Met Office warned that power cuts similar to those seen in the south-west could affect the northern amber warning areas. At one point on Friday, 31,000 homes in the south-west lost electricity. By Saturday morning, the National Grid reported that more than 3,700 of those homes were still without power.

Alex Burkill, a meteorologist at the Met Office, identified the winds as the primary concern. He stated that strong gusty winds would affect Northern Ireland, northern England, and Scotland, strengthening toward the evening. Although temperatures are slightly above the seasonal average, Burkill described the conditions as "pretty unpleasant" due to the combination of wind and rain.

Winds from Boelo are expected to peak from Saturday evening. The wet weather should clear overnight in many areas, though rain will continue in Scotland and Northern Ireland. This storm follows a year of extreme weather in the UK, which experienced its hottest summer on record with five heatwaves and 40 days above 30C.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham addressed the recent record wildfires at a summit on Friday. He warned that the UK could face "a winter of greater flooding" and noted that unexpected events are becoming more common. He denied that the government was playing catch-up on civil preparedness.