Hundreds of homes across Wales lost electricity on Sunday morning as back-to-back storms brought severe weather disruption, flooding and fallen trees to the region over the weekend. A wind gust of 84mph (135km/h) was recorded in Capel Curig, Conwy county, on Saturday, with significant rainfall also reported. According to BBC News, Storm Boelo followed Storm Austen, creating a period of intense meteorological activity across Wales.
The two consecutive storms caused widespread disruption across the region. Police forces and councils reported dealing with multiple incidents involving flooding and trees blocking roads and damaging property. Five flood warnings were issued in south Wales on Sunday morning, while 555 homes in Rhayader, Powys, experienced power cuts. An additional 100 homes across south Wales were also without electricity on Sunday morning.
The National Grid confirmed its engineers were working to restore power to affected households "as quickly as possible" and issued an apology for the disruption caused by the severe weather. Most of Wales was not covered by a weather warning during Storm Boelo, although a yellow warning for wind remained in effect across parts of north Wales until 21:00 GMT on Sunday.
Rainfall was substantial across the region. Capel Curig recorded 2.1 inches (54.6mm) of rain on Saturday, while Bute Park in Cardiff measured 2.2 inches (55.2mm) throughout the same day. These figures underscored the intensity of the precipitation accompanying the high winds.
How did the storms affect transport?
Transport disruption was significant across Wales during the storms. Buses were deployed to replace a number of Transport for Wales train services due to flooding and poor weather conditions. National Rail warned that Storm Boelo could disrupt routes across England, Wales and Scotland through Monday 26 October, with the possibility of lingering disruption even after weather warnings ended. High winds could require trains to run more slowly, while heavy rain could leave tracks underwater or damage embankments, according to the rail operator.
What damage did the storms cause locally?
Rhondda Cynon Taf council reported dealing with numerous reports of trees down across its area. Natural Resources Wales had five flood warnings in place at 09:00 on Sunday morning, with four warnings for the River Ely and one for the River Rhondda in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Videos circulating on social media showed cars attempting to drive down waterlogged roads as rain poured down and drenched pavements, illustrating the severity of flooding in some locations.
Natural Resources Wales urged people affected by flooding to move to a safe place, stating:
"You might have to leave your home if it is safe to do so."
What was the wider impact of Storm Boelo?
Storm Boelo affected a much larger area than Wales alone. The Met Office's amber wind warning covered parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, forecasting widespread gusts of 60–70mph in the warning area, with 80mph possible at exposed coastal locations. The storm represented a separate low-pressure system from Storm Austen, which had affected southern parts of the UK earlier in the week.
In Scotland, Storm Boelo brought 80mph winds and heavy rain from Saturday evening, with amber warnings in place until Sunday evening. Across Cumbria, the storm caused major disruption with fallen trees blocking roads, flooding making travel dangerous, and over 57,000 homes losing power. In Ireland, Storm Boelo brought 85mph winds and widespread power cuts, with thousands without electricity in County Donegal, County Fermanagh and County Antrim.
What should passengers do next?
National Rail advised passengers to check their full journey before travelling, with its disruption notice covering possible impacts through Monday 26 October. Travellers were urged to plan ahead and verify service status before setting out, as weather-related delays and cancellations remained possible across the rail network.
Key Facts
- A wind gust of 84mph (135km/h) was recorded in Capel Curig, Conwy county, on Saturday
- 555 homes in Rhayader, Powys, and approximately 100 homes across south Wales lost power on Sunday morning
- Five flood warnings were in place in south Wales on Sunday, with four affecting the River Ely and one affecting the River Rhondda in Porth
- Transport disruption extended across England, Wales and Scotland, with possible impacts through Monday 26 October
- Storm Boelo followed Storm Austen, creating two consecutive days of severe weather across the UK
