700,000 UK customers regain power after back-to-back storms

Approximately 90,000 properties in northern parts of the United Kingdom remained without electricity on Monday morning. This outage followed a weekend of severe weather caused by Storms Austen and Boelo, which struck the region in quick succession. Forecasters issued warnings that further strong winds were imminent, complicating repair efforts.

The Energy Networks Association, which represents network operators across the UK and Ireland, reported that utility crews restored service to about 700,000 customers over the weekend. Lawrence Slade, the association's chief executive, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the rapid succession of the two storms created a particularly difficult situation for repair teams. He noted that the winds never fully eased, with gusts widely reaching 50 to 70 mph and up to 85 mph in northern Scotland. Slade explained that engineers could not safely replace poles or rewire lines until the weather system passed.

Storms Austen and Boelo caused widespread travel disruption, flooding, and event cancellations. Authorities confirmed that two men died after being struck by falling trees. The victims were a 60-year-old man in Dumfries and Galloway and a man in his 20s in Finchley, north London. Scotland's first minister, John Swinney, met with senior politicians, emergency teams, and forecasters on Sunday to coordinate the response. On Monday, Swinney posted on X to offer condolences to the families of the two men who lost their lives and to thank emergency services for working through the night.

The Met Office issued two yellow weather warnings for Monday and Tuesday. The first warning runs from 6 pm Monday until 3 am Tuesday, covering western coastal areas from Cornwall to south-west Scotland. Gusts of up to 65 mph are expected on exposed coasts, accompanied by heavy rain at times. The second warning covers most of Scotland from 3 am to 9 pm Tuesday, with winds of 50 to 60 mph likely to be widespread and gusts of up to 70 mph in the far north. Forecasters cautioned that these conditions could lead to further travel cancellations, road closures, and power cuts.

Flooding affected several areas, including Largs town centre, where floodwater rushed through the streets. One resident described the water level as the highest she had seen in 36 years of living there. Staff at the Thai restaurant Tha-Tien-Thai shared a video of their flooded kitchen and stated the business would remain closed for the foreseeable future because the restoration work was larger than initially planned. Emergency services also responded to a flooded care home in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, on Sunday evening. Police Scotland said everyone at the facility was accounted for and officers remained on site overnight.

Travel disruptions continued across the country. Some flights were diverted from Leeds Bradford, England's highest airport, while others were cancelled. Most train services were returning to normal, though operators advised passengers to check conditions before traveling. Sunday racing at Aintree was abandoned due to high winds. A goalless draw between Sunderland and Leeds concluded with the wind as the deciding factor in the match conditions.