Around 36,000 remain without power across UK as flooding continues following Storm Boelo

Around 36,000 people remain without power after widespread flooding and damage in the wake of Storm Boelo. An update from the Energy Networks Association on Monday said around 785,000 customers have been reconnected following outages, with rain and high winds "making it unsafe for engineers to climb up infrastructure to fix faults". Around 90,000 were without power first thing on Monday, with an 8am update suggesting that number had been reduced to 36,000 and falling.

Gusts of up to 84mph tore through northern parts of the UK, with Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England hit hardest by Storm Boelo - the second named storm of the season. Elsewhere in the UK two people have died after being crushed by falling trees as strong gusts battered cities, towns and rural areas. Police Scotland confirmed on Sunday afternoon that a 60-year-old man had died after the accident near to Castle Douglas in Dumfries, with Storm Boelo bringing strong gusts.

Read more: Thousands without power after Austen batters UK as second storm nears Read more: More than 400,000 march on France as tear gas and water cannons used to deter crowds - but minister insists outcome was 'positive' In London, another man died after he was crushed by a falling tree on a minor road at around 10:30 on Sunday. The force outlined that "there are no suspicious circumstances", with the Met Police confirming that a man in his 20s was killed in north London when a tree fell onto his car.

Over 160,000 homes were initially without power due to heavy gusts, a figure that now stands at around 90,000, with heavy downpours continuing in the wake of the storm. The last remaining amber alert for extreme wind ended at 9pm last night, with the cleanup operation now underway. Lawrence Slade, Chief Executive of Energy Networks Association, said: “ We expect Storm Boelo will bring disruption to households across northern areas of the UK, particularly in Scotland.

This immediately follows the impact of Storm Austen, which caused temporary power cuts in the Southwest of the country. “Networks’ top priority is safely reconnecting customers as quickly as possible. The electricity networks closely monitor weather forecasts and identify where engineering teams need to be positioned across the country, reflecting where they expect the worst of the damage. “Preparation for both Storm Austen and Storm Boelo began earlier this week, ensuring teams across the country are fully equipped and well positioned to support customers."

As of 7pm on Sunday evening, around 90,000 customers remained without power, according to the Energy Networks Association, the body which represents energy operators in the UK and Ireland. It follows a "danger to life" warning being imposed by the Met Office due to "flying debris", with gusts of over 80mph have recorded a day after the country was hit by Storm Austen . Two women in Aberfeldy, Scotland were also taken to hospital for treatment after being injured by a falling tree.

A statement by the police read: "Members of the public are being advised to avoid the Poplar Avenue area of Aberfeldy near to the bridge known locally as the Bouncy Bridge." The Met Office has warned of potential injuries and danger to life from flying debris as well as a chance of damage to buildings, power cuts and travel disruption. The amber wind warning came into force at 9pm on Saturday night, and will remain in place until 9pm this evening, with only Orkney remaining under a yellow warning.

On Sunday morning, winds gusts peaked at 84mph in Argyll and Bute on the south west, 83mph in Snowdonia and 82mph in the Inner Hebrides. The Met Office has advised people to stay indoors as much as possible and warned that Storm Boelo brings a danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves. Around 2% of scheduled flights have also been cancelled, while rail passengers were urged not to travel as several companies cancelled services, and others have been diverted from landing at Leeds and Bradford Airport Engineers battling severe weather have reconnected 344,900 customers to power but 82,600 are still disconnected, Energy Networks Association said at about the same time.

In Scotland, staff at the Thai restaurant Tha-Tien-Thai in the town of Largs, North Ayrshire, shared a video of their kitchen overrun by water with the caption: "There is nothing left." It said it closed its doors for the foreseeable future "due to larger flood restoration than originally planned". Collapsed trees, cables on carriageways, strong winds and damaged surfaces also prompted closures to major roads in Scotland. Storm Boelo follows Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, which brought strong winds to southern parts of the UK on Friday.

There were scenes of severe flooding in Gourock in Inverclyde, west Scotland, on Sunday morning as an amber weather alert came into effect. Cars were left floating while a boat was washed onto the pavement as water gushed through the streets following a day of torrential rain. Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said on Friday: "Storm Boelo will be felt across the UK this weekend, with the strongest winds and greatest potential for disruption in the north.

"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. "Strong winds will also affect other parts of the UK, with gusts of 50-60mph possible in places." Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill added: "There’s more stormy weather to come as we go through this weekend, especially across northern parts, that’s where we’re going to see the strongest winds.

"Storm Boelo is arriving. It’s going to bring widespread rain and some very strong winds indeed, and it’s quick on the tails of Storm Austen which is now clearing away towards the east." The Prime Minister warned on Friday that the UK could face "a winter of greater flooding" and said we are living in a world where "unexpected events" are "more and more common". Andy Burnham denied the suggestion that the Government is playing catch-up with civil preparedness as he attended a summit organised to learn from the summer’s record wildfires.

He said: "We potentially are facing a winter of greater flooding, so it’s about recognising all of those risks and taking action." In preparation for Storm Boelo, Scottish ministers activated the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR). Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville chaired an SGORR meeting on Friday and said it will continue to "monitor the situation closely". Edinburgh Castle has closed today, and visitors have been warned that the site may be delayed or closed on Saturday because of the weather forecast.

The free-to-attend event was planned to take over the Paisley town centre and host a parade of more than 400 professional performers and community groups, and it included street theatre and outdoor light installations.