Storm Boelo leaves tens of thousands without power as Met Office issues danger to life warnings for parts of UK

More than 1,500 flights at airports including Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow have faced delays, rail services have been severely curtailed, tens of thousands of homes have lost electricity, and over 400 people were forced to flee a caravan park in Lancashire.

Major public events, among them London’s annual Diwali on the Square celebrations, have been scrapped entirely.

Jason Kelly, the Met Office’s chief forecaster, said: “Amber warnings are in place across mainland Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, where gusts of 60-70mph are expected widely, with the potential for 80mph in exposed coastal locations.”

He added: “Strong winds will also affect other parts of the UK, with gusts of 50-60mph possible in places. Heavy rain will provide an additional hazard, particularly in the north, bringing the potential for further impacts.”

The weather service cautioned that airborne debris and powerful waves could present a danger to life, urging the public to remain indoors wherever possible.

People were also advised to brace for electricity outages and significant transport disruption.

Yellow warnings for wind and rain were additionally issued for several cities, including Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield.

Tens of thousands of properties across the North West were left without electricity as the storm tore through the region.

SP Electricity North West confirmed that thousands of homes had been affected, with more than 500 in Blackpool and 200 in Wigan cut off by the powerful gusts.

Flight-tracking service FlightAware recorded more than 1,500 flights to and from UK airports suffering delays averaging two hours, while hundreds of services were cancelled outright.

On the railways, LNER scrapped nearly all its Aberdeen trains and scaled back operations at Northallerton, Newcastle and Edinburgh to just one service per hour in each direction.

National Rail warned that gale-force winds and flooding threatened severe knock-on disruption across ScotRail, Northern and Greater Anglia networks.

Avanti West Coast told passengers to avoid travelling north of Preston, while TransPennine Express reported a fallen tree blocking the line between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly.

Blackpool’s tram network was shut down entirely owing to the combination of torrential rain and fierce gusts.

National Highways shut roads and bridges across the North East and Midlands, urging motorists to take extreme caution.

Liverpool’s River of Light event, which showcases illuminated artworks, was similarly scrapped “in the interests of safety”.

Aintree racecourse abandoned its Halloween Fun Day after recording gusts of 44mph, stating: “While we are disappointed, the safety of our participants, visitors and teams is our number one priority.”

A pumpkin farm in Warrington, Cheshire, also closed its gates, citing 50mph winds as too hazardous for visitors.

Social media footage captured floodwater surging through streets in Largs on Scotland’s west coast, while large waves pounded coastlines across the north.

The turmoil followed just days after Storm Austen, which struck southern England on Friday, also cutting power to thousands of homes and destroying a section of Brighton’s historic West Pier.

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