Storm Boelo kills man, leaves tens of thousands without power in Scotland

A 60-year-old man was killed by a falling tree near Castle Douglas in Dumfries on Sunday morning as Storm Boelo brought gusts of up to 85mph and widespread disruption to Scotland, police said.

The man was struck on a road just after 10 in the morning; police said a report would be submitted to the procurator fiscal. Two women were also hurt when a tree fell on them in Aberfeldy and were receiving hospital treatment, according to the Scotsman.

An amber wind warning, the second-highest level issued by the Met Office, came into force on Saturday evening and remained active across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England into Sunday evening.

Around 53,000 homes in Scotland remained without power on Sunday afternoon, despite almost 30,000 having been reconnected, according to the Scotsman. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said 47,000 of its customers were still cut off, while SP Energy Networks reported about 6,000 homes affected, mainly in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway.

Flooding hit several coastal towns, including Largs and Tarbert, after waves breached sea defences, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency had 17 flood warnings and 11 flood alerts active. Trains, ferries and flights were cancelled, and multiple roads were closed by fallen trees, including sections of the A82, A83 and A9, some of which reopened by Sunday morning.

The Scottish Government's resilience committee, including First Minister John Swinney and several ministers, met on Sunday and warned that disruption was likely to continue into Monday, with another low-pressure system expected to bring further wind and rain early in the week. It was the second storm to hit the UK in a week, after Storm Austen on Friday.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville urged people to check official sources before travelling and said ongoing winds were hampering efforts to repair the power network.