Daily Mirror, on Climate, 23 October 2026

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Met Office urges Brits in 70 areas to gather essential items for Saturday – list

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The Met Office has urged millions of Brits to consider gathering essential items as three weather warnings are due for Storm Boelo. Brighton's iconic West Pier has partially collapsed and wind speeds climbed over 100mph - but more weather chaos is to come this weekend. For Storm Boelo, the Met Office has issued amber and yellow wind warnings covering Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of England.

The weather front will be "invigorated by an active jet stream" before reaching the UK, according to the Met Office , and could bring gusts of at least 80mph. This weekend's three warnings cover 70 areas in total, and all state that power cuts could hit the affected areas. The Met Office is urging people to prepare in advance by "gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items". An amber warning for wind will be in place between 9pm on Saturday and 9pm on Sunday, covering 34 areas in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.

The Met Office says the strongest Storm Boelo winds are expected from Saturday evening and will extend eastwards through Sunday. The forecaster said: "Very strong westerly winds associated with Storm Boelo are expected with fairly widespread gusts of 60 to 70mph and gusts to 80mph in exposed coastal areas." The winds will gradually ease from the west through Sunday. All three warnings state there is a risk of flying debris, power cuts and damage to buildings.

Travel disruption is also expected, with the Met Office adding that "injuries and danger to life are likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties". The forecaster warns driving in these conditions can be dangerous and that motorists should drive slowly to minimise the impact of wind gusts. The amber warning adds: "Being outside in high winds makes you more vulnerable to injury. Stay indoors as much as possible.

"If you do go out, try not to walk, or shelter, close to buildings and trees. In advance of high winds, check for loose items outside your home and secure them. Items include: bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences." Angus Clackmannanshire Dundee Falkirk Fife Perth and Kinross Stirling Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Moray Na h-Eileanan Siar Highland Northumberland Cumbria County Antrim County Londonderry Argyll and Bute East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Renfrewshire Glasgow Inverclyde North Ayrshire North Lanarkshire Renfrewshire South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire West Dunbartonshire Dumfries and Galloway East Lothian Edinburgh Midlothian Council Scottish Borders West Lothian A yellow wind warning is in place for Northern Ireland from 10am on Saturday to midday on Sunday.

It again warns of the same dangers - power cuts, flying debris, difficult driving conditions - and states gusts could reach up to 75mph in exposed coastal regions. The warning states: "Strong winds will spread across Northern Ireland during Saturday. Initially strong southerly winds will develop on Saturday morning, before stronger westerly winds follow later in the day. "Very windy conditions will persist overnight and into Sunday before gradually easing from the southwest during Sunday morning.

Gusts of 50-60mph are likely widely with some coastal and exposed areas potentially seeing gusts of 65-75mph. Strong winds will be combined with blustery heavy showers." County Antrim County Armagh County Down County Fermanagh County Londonderry County Tyrone Scotland, northern parts of northern England and the Midlands are all covered by another yellow weather warning for wind between midday on Saturday and 9pm on Sunday, again carrying the same risks of power cuts, flying debris, travel chaos, and danger to life from waves or beach material being thrown onto seafronts.

The Met Office said: "Initially strong southerly winds will affect parts of Scotland before more widespread and even stronger westerly winds develop later on Saturday. "Very windy conditions will then persist overnight and through much of Sunday before gradually easing from the southwest later. Gusts of 55-65mph are likely widely with some coastal and exposed areas potentially seeing gusts of 70-80mph or more, these strongest gusts most likely across Scotland and the far north of England."

Angus Clackmannanshire Dundee Falkirk Fife Perth and Kinross Stirling Derbyshire Lincolnshire Nottinghamshire Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Moray Na h-Eileanan Siar Highland Darlington Durham Gateshead Hartlepool Middlesbrough Newcastle upon Tyne North Tyneside Northumberland Redcar and Cleveland South Tyneside Stockton-on-Tees Sunderland Blackburn with Darwen Blackpool Cheshire East Cheshire West and Chester Cumbria Greater Manchester Halton Lancashire Merseyside Warrington Orkney Islands Argyll and Bute East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Renfrewshire Glasgow Inverclyde North Ayrshire North Lanarkshire Renfrewshire South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire West Dunbartonshire Dumfries and Galloway East Lothian Edinburgh Midlothian Council Scottish Borders West Lothian East Riding of Yorkshire Kingston upon Hull North East Lincolnshire North Lincolnshire North Yorkshire South Yorkshire West Yorkshire York

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What we found (1)

The Mirror reports the Met Office warnings for Storm Boelo, with Storm Austen already battering the UK, the West Pier partly collapsed, flood warnings in force and heavy rain on the way. The article never tells its reader that a warming climate is making heavy rainfall like this more intense. Its warning details are otherwise sourced to the Met Office and nothing else in it misleads.

  1. Leaves out the climate link

    Minor

    “The winds will be accompanied by heavy rain, it adds.”

    Why this matters
    The Mirror reports heavy rain arriving with Storm Boelo as a plain forecast detail, and nowhere in the article does it link the rain to a warming climate.
    The impression it gives
    A reader comes away thinking this run of storms and downpours is ordinary weather with no connection to climate change.
    The context
    Human-caused warming has made heavy rainfall more frequent and more intense. The article contains no word on climate or warming.

    How we know

    • On the recordThat warming has made hot extremes, heavy rainfall, agricultural and ecological drought, fire weather and intense tropical cyclones more frequent or more severe.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)
    • Checked against the whole articleIt never uses the words “climate” and “warming”.

    Show it in the article

    “Storm Austen is currently battering the UK, with flood warnings in place in southern areas.”

    Why this matters
    The Mirror reports flooding risk already in place from one storm, with a second storm due, and gives the reader only the forecast and the safety advice.
    The impression it gives
    A reader takes the flood warnings as a weather event with no wider cause behind them.
    The context
    The flooding comes from heavy rain, and warming is making heavy rainfall worse. One short line saying so would have given the reader that fact.

    How we know

    Show it in the article

How other outlets reported it

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