Storms Leave 90,000 UK Homes in Darkness as Winds Return

Residents in northern Britain faced continued power outages and renewed wind warnings on Monday, following a weekend of severe weather. Approximately 90,000 properties across the region remained without electricity as forecasters issued fresh alerts for strong gusts later in the week.

The Energy Networks Association, which represents utility operators in the UK and Ireland, reported that 90,000 customers were still disconnected on Monday morning. Chief executive Lawrence Slade told BBC Radio 4 that operators had worked to restore service to roughly 700,000 customers over the weekend. He described the period from Friday through Sunday as particularly difficult, noting that the rapid succession of Storms Austen and Boelo complicated repair efforts.

Slade explained that persistent winds, which reached 50 to 70 mph and peaked at 85 mph in northern Scotland, prevented engineers from safely replacing poles and rewiring lines. Although conditions milder on Monday, the Met Office issued two yellow weather warnings for Tuesday. The first covers western coastal areas from Cornwall to south-west Scotland between 6 pm and 3 am, with gusts up to 65 mph. The second covers most of Scotland from 3 am to 9 pm, predicting widespread winds of 50 to 60 mph and gusts up to 70 mph in the far north.

Authorities confirmed two deaths resulting from the storms. A 60-year-old man in Dumfries and Galloway was struck by a falling tree, while a man in his 20s died in Finchley, north London. Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney met with senior politicians and emergency teams on Sunday to coordinate the response. On Monday, he posted on X expressing condolences to the families of the victims and thanking emergency services for their overnight work.

Flooding caused additional damage in several locations. In Largs, floodwater cascaded through the town centre, a level one resident said she had never seen in 36 years. A local Thai restaurant, Tha-Tien-Thai, shared video of its kitchen submerged in water and announced it would close for the foreseeable future for flood restoration. In Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, emergency services responded to a flooded care home on Sunday evening. Police Scotland confirmed everyone was accounted for and officers remained on site overnight.

Travel disruptions affected both air and rail networks. Flights were diverted from Leeds Bradford, England’s highest airport, while other services were cancelled. Most train routes were returning to normal, though operators advised passengers to check schedules before traveling. The high winds also led to the cancellation of Sunday racing at Aintree.