Storm Boelo has swept across the North West, bringing destructive winds that have uprooted trees, damaged vehicles, and left tens of thousands without electricity. According to BBC News, the severe weather has forced evacuations, cancelled major events, and disrupted transport networks across Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire.
SP Electricity North West reported that thousands of homes suffered power cuts due to strong gusts, with more than 500 properties affected in Blackpool and 200 in Wigan. Additional outages were recorded across the region: nearly 1,000 properties lost power in Penwortham, almost 300 in Preston, and more than 300 across South Ribble.
The storm, which followed Storm Austen just days earlier, brought gusts of up to 44 mph at Aintree racecourse and 50 mph at Bates pumpkin farm in Warrington. The Met Office forecast widespread gusts of 60–70 mph in warning areas, with gusts potentially reaching 80 mph in exposed coastal locations.
What damage has the storm caused?
Fallen trees have been the most visible hazard, with one uprooted tree crashing through the roof and windscreen of a car belonging to grandmother Lisa Roberts in Heysham, Lancashire. Roberts described the moment to BBC Radio Lancashire:
We had just sat down to watch Strictly - there was a lot of noise outside but you expect that when it's windy. But suddenly there was an almighty noise and my husband went out and said 'it's a tree - it's landed on the car'. It smashed through the sunroof and the windscreen.
Roberts added that her five-year-old grandson had remarkably predicted the danger earlier that evening.
It's not what we expected on a Saturday night [but] my five-year-old grandson did predict it. He said earlier 'look at that tree nana - it's going to fall over'.
More than 400 people were evacuated from a caravan park near Preston, Lancashire, as a precautionary measure during the height of the storm.
Which events and services have been cancelled or disrupted?
Aintree racecourse cancelled its Halloween Fun Day after reporting dangerous wind speeds. In a statement, the venue explained:
While we are disappointed, the safety of our participants, visitors and teams is our number one priority.
Bates pumpkin farm in Warrington also shut for the day, citing that the
50mph gusts are not safe to be on the farm. Visit Liverpool cancelled its River of Light event, which was to feature illuminated artworks,
in the interests of safety.
Rail services across the North West experienced significant disruption. Avanti West Coast advised against travel north of Preston, TransPennine Express urged passengers to make only essential journeys, and Northern advised against travel across the North West. Merseyrail suspended services between Birkenhead North and West Kirby after a tree fell on the line at Hoylake.
What happens next?
The Met Office's yellow wind warning for the North West was scheduled to remain in place until 21:00 BST on Sunday, 25 October. The Met Office said unsettled, wet and windy conditions were expected to continue into the following week, with another low-pressure system approaching and a wind warning already issued for northern areas on Tuesday.
Key Facts
- Storm Boelo brought gusts of up to 80 mph in exposed coastal areas, with widespread winds of 60–70 mph across warning zones
- Thousands of homes lost power across the North West, with Blackpool, Wigan, Penwortham, Preston and South Ribble among the hardest hit areas
- More than 400 people were evacuated from a caravan park near Preston as a precaution
- Major events including Aintree's Halloween Fun Day and Liverpool's River of Light were cancelled due to safety concerns
- Rail services operated by Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express, Northern and Merseyrail were disrupted or suspended
