Hundreds of homes across Scotland still without power after Storm Boelo damage

Hundreds of homes across Scotland are still without power on Wednesday following damage from Storm Boelo. The storm brought 84mph gusts and a third of a month’s rain to parts of Scotland as well as travel disruptions and power cuts. On Sunday, a 60-year-old man died after he was hit by a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland, at about 10.30am. Two women were also taken to hospital after they were struck by another falling tree in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross.

People walking along the sea front at Largs after Storm Boelo passed through (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire As of Wednesday, Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said 620 homes across Scotland were still affected by power outages. The power company hoped that most of those homes would be reconnected by the end of the day, but said a small number may remain off supply overnight. SP Energy Networks (SPEN) said all customers affected by Storm Boelo on its network were restored by Monday.

Meanwhile, searches are ongoing for a person thought to have been swept into the sea in North Ayrshire by large waves. The Coastguard said the alarm was raised at Largs at about 12.20am on Tuesday. A helicopter and aeroplane went to the scene, along with RNLI lifeboats from Largs and Troon and coastguard rescue teams, police and the fire service. Following an “extensive search”, the coastguard said on Tuesday that nobody was found and searches were suspended at about 9am, pending new information.

On Wednesday, Police Scotland said: “Searches and inquiries are ongoing into a report of an unidentified man seen in the water on Tuesday morning.” More than 30,000 homes across Scotland experienced power outages on Sunday after Storm Boelo battered the country overnight. The storm came shortly after Storm Austen delivered heavy rain to many areas on Friday. As of Wednesday, SSEN said more than 110,000 customers have been reconnected since the start of Storm Boelo, and 500 engineers were working on Wednesday to reconnect supplies.

“We know it’s been a really challenging few days if you’re still without power, and we’re incredibly grateful for your patience and understanding,” Nik Wheeler, head of customer operations at SSEN Distribution, said. “More than 500 engineers are working today to get your power back on, and we’ll keep doing everything we can to reconnect you as quickly and safely as possible.” He added: “We’re really grateful for the many messages of support our teams have received from customers and communities.

They mean a great deal to our colleagues working in challenging conditions. “We’ll keep working until every customer is safely reconnected and continue supporting those who need us most in the meantime.” Provisional Met Office data shows Storm Austen brought a maximum gust of 69 knots (about 79mph) to the Isle of Wight, while Storm Boelo saw wind speeds in some exposed areas reach the low 80s mph. Heavy rain was also a feature of both storms, with Abbey St Bathans in Berwickshire recording 77.6 mm of rain during Storm Austen, while 134.4 mm was recorded in Ross and Cromarty during Storm Boelo.

Looking ahead, Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said the UK is set for calmer weather as high pressure moves in, bringing drier conditions after storms Austen and Boelo caused “disturbed and unsettled” weather. Mr Snell said the UK would see a “big flip in the weather” over the next 48 hours. But he said the calmer conditions will bring a new hazard — with dense and stubborn fog threatening to disrupt morning journeys. He added: “Come Thursday morning, some parts of the south and central parts of the UK could wake up to some fairly dense fog patches.

“They will be quite slow to clear. We’re entering that time of year where fog can be quite stubborn to move once it’s formed.” Renfrewshire Council has said storm damage has temporarily closed the Renfrew Bridge to road users. Extensive damage in one of the two operating plant rooms means the bridge will have to remain closed to road traffic for a number of months to allow Clyde river traffic to operate normally while the necessary repairs are carried out.

The electronic systems controlling the hydraulics on the Renfrew side of the bridge were significantly damaged in the incident. Renfrewshire Council’s head of climate, public protection and roads, Gerard Hannah said: “We’re very sorry for the inconvenience this will cause all those who use the bridge. “We have two operating rooms, one on each side of the river, which manage the opening and closing of the bridge. While one side suffered minimal impact from the high-water levels, the plant on the Renfrew side suffered significant damage to the electrical systems required to operate the bridge.

“Urgent work is under way to identify the issues behind the damage and get the bridge back into action as soon as possible. We’ll keep the public updated with further details as the work progresses.”