STORM AUSTEN BATTERS BRITAIN: ‘We’re seeing the full force now’
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Britons will face major travel disruption as Storm Boelo is set to batter most of Great Britain.
Northern Britain will face gusts over 80mph, with “widespread travel disruption” to ferries and trains as the UK still recovers from the season’s first named storm, Storm Austen.
An amber weather warning is in place across Scotland, the north of England down to Carlisle and the north-east of Northern Ireland on Saturday.
Tom Morgan, a Met Office meteorologist, said: “With the strong winds, potentially gusts exceeding 80 miles per hour locally, there will be some widespread travel disruption across Scotland, possibly northern parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England as well through the next 24 to 36 hours.”
Mr Morgan continued: “I’m expecting delays to ferry services, if not cancellations, perhaps some quite widespread impacts to travel on the railways and on the roads as well.”
At least 30,000 homes were struck by power cuts as a result of Storm Austen, and the Met Office said similar could “potentially” be replicated across the amber areas in the north this weekend.
A section of Brighton’s historic West Pier fell into the sea after being battered by waves.
The weather will stay “very wet and windy” across the UK on Saturday.
But forecasts in England and Wales predict a brighter, sunnier scene on Sunday.
Train lines in Scotland have announced service changes amid the amber weather warning.
Potential injuries, danger to life from flying debris, building damage, power cuts and travel disruption are all possibilities.
Network Rail Scotland said that services south and west of Kilwinning in North Ayrshire will stop from 9pm on Saturday, while further north the Oban and Mallaig lines will close from about 10pm.
On Sunday, the line between Kyle of Lochalsh and Achnashellach in the Highlands will be closed from the start of service, as well as the railway between Wick and Helmsdale.
Trains will also reduce speeds across large parts of Scotland as high winds blow through.
Craig Gorman, head of operational weather strategy at Network Rail Scotland, admitted the delays will have a “significant impact” on people’s plans this weekend, but the rail line must “put safety first”.
He said: “We’ll keep a close eye on conditions as Storm Boelo moves across Scotland and adapt our response where we need to, while doing everything we can to keep people moving.”
Much of the UK was placed in drought conditions this summer.
Mr Morgan admitted the UK needed the rain “desperately”, particularly the south of the country, which has borne much of the “severe drought”.
The weather events coincide with a national preparedness programme as Britons are told to stockpile tinned food and bottled water.
Andy Burnham warned the UK could face a “winter of greater flooding” and that “unexpected events” are becoming “more and more common”.
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