Storm Boelo: 85mph gusts batter Scotland as floods swamp Largs and thousands lose power

Storm Boelo has battered Scotland overnight with gusts of up to 85mph, flooding town centres on the Clyde coast, cutting power to thousands of homes and bringing much of the country’s transport network to a standstill.

The strongest gust was recorded at Machrihanish in Argyll and Bute. Tiree in the Inner Hebrides recorded 82mph at about 04:00 on Sunday, while 76mph was measured on South Uist, 74mph at Inverbervie in Aberdeenshire and 68mph on Tiree earlier on Saturday evening.

A Met Office amber warning for wind came into force at 21:00 on Saturday and covers mainland Scotland and the Western Isles until 21:00 on Sunday. Only Orkney remains under a less severe yellow warning. Forecasters say gusts of up to 90mph are possible in the most exposed places during the day.

Although amber warnings are not unprecedented, the Met Office said this one was unusual because it would last a full 24 hours across such a wide area. The forecast prompted Scottish ministers to activate the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room on Friday.

Clyde coast towns under water

Some of the worst damage has been on the Ayrshire and Inverclyde coast. Video shared on social media showed Main Street in Largs, North Ayrshire, completely under water on Sunday morning, with sea water pushing into shops and cafés along the seafront.

Toni Dawson, who runs Geraldo’s in the town, told the Largs & Millport Weekly News that traders were struggling even to reach their premises. “We are trying to protect our businesses from this disaster but we can’t even get into our shops right now,” she said. “God knows how much stock we have lost.”

The A78 was also closed at Largs after a tree came down. Flooding has shut the A78 Inverkip Road in Greenock, the A77 at Lendalfoot in South Ayrshire and several roads in Dumfries and Galloway. Flooding was also reported in Saltcoats.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued 30 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected and immediate action is required. They stretch from Ayr to Troon, Largs and Dumbarton to the Solway Firth, Wigtown Bay and Loch Ryan, and include the River Earn in Perthshire, Glen Lyon, the South Esk in Angus, parts of Orkney and the Vatersay and Berneray causeways in the Western Isles.

Power cuts across the country

Energy companies reported cuts across a large part of the country. SSEN said homes in the Western Isles, Argyll and the Trossachs had lost supply, and its map still showed large areas without power as dawn broke on Sunday. SP Energy Networks, which serves central and southern Scotland, said dozens of postcodes were affected, including parts of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The Met Office has warned that flying debris could cause injury and pose a danger to life, and that mobile phone coverage could be affected as well as power supplies.

Ferries, trains and bridges

CalMac has cancelled all 30 of its west coast ferry routes for the rest of the weekend and warned that some services could be disrupted until Monday. NorthLink Ferries, which serves Orkney and Shetland, has told passengers to expect possible disruption until Thursday.

Network Rail has closed several lines as a precaution. Services between Kilwinning and Ayr, Kilmarnock and Stranraer, and Ayr and Girvan were suspended from 21:00 on Saturday. The West Highland lines between Fort William and Mallaig and between Crianlarich and Oban are shut, as are the Kyle line west of Achnashellach and the Far North line north of Helmsdale. The Borders Railway was suspended because of subsidence.

ScotRail has asked people to travel only if necessary and said it would not provide replacement buses on the closed routes for safety reasons. LNER advised passengers not to travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen on Sunday, and Avanti West Coast told customers to avoid travelling north of Preston.

Air passengers have also been affected. More than 1,500 flights to and from UK airports, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, were delayed by an average of two hours, according to flight-tracking data.

The Forth Road Bridge is closed to pedestrians and double-decker buses, and the Tay Road Bridge is closed to double-decker buses, with a 30mph speed limit for other vehicles. The Erskine Bridge was closed to high-sided vehicles on Saturday evening.

Supt Andy Barclay of Police Scotland urged drivers to consider whether their journeys were “really necessary”. He warned that stopping distances could double on wet roads and said lorry and bus drivers could be asked by officers to park up.

The RNLI urged people to stay away from exposed cliffs, seafronts and piers, warning that waves “could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea”.

Castles and events closed

Historic Environment Scotland has closed many sites, including Edinburgh, Stirling, Aberdour and Caerlaverock castles and Skara Brae in Orkney. The National Trust for Scotland has also shut some properties. In the capital, Princes Street Gardens, the grounds of Lauriston Castle and Saughton Winter Gardens are closed until the storm passes.

The Enchanted Forest in Pitlochry cancelled Saturday’s show and warned that Sunday’s may follow. A Halloween fun day at Dean Castle Country Park in Kilmarnock has been postponed, and Renfrewshire Council called off Saturday’s events.

What happens next

Storm Boelo arrived barely a day after Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, which brought flash floods to Shetland and heavy rain across Scotland on Friday. The Met Office expects Boelo’s winds to ease gradually from the west through Sunday afternoon and evening.

People are advised to check Sepa’s flood updates, report power cuts by calling 105 and check with ferry and rail operators before setting out. Further disruption is possible into Monday as engineers work to clear fallen trees and restore power.