90,000 UK properties remain dark as winds return

Approximately 90,000 properties in northern Britain remained without electricity on Monday morning. The Energy Networks Association reported this figure, noting that operators had restored power to roughly 700,000 customers over the preceding weekend.

Lawrence Slade, chief executive of the Energy Networks Association, described the recovery effort as difficult. He stated that the rapid succession of Storm Austen and Storm Boelo created a challenging environment for crews. Strong winds, which reached 50 to 70 miles per hour and hit 85 miles per hour in northern Scotland, prevented engineers from safely replacing poles and rewiring lines.

The Met Office issued two yellow weather warnings for Tuesday. The first covers western coastal areas from Cornwall to south-west Scotland from 6 p.m. Monday to 3 a.m. Tuesday. Gusts up to 65 miles per hour are expected in exposed areas, accompanied by heavy rain. The second warning applies to most of Scotland from 3 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, with widespread winds of 50 to 60 miles per hour and gusts up to 70 miles per hour in the far north.

Forecasters advised residents to exercise caution near cliffs and warned of strong waves. They also predicted possible travel cancellations, road closures, and additional power outages as the new weather system moves in. These conditions follow a weekend that brought widespread disruption, flooding, and event cancellations.

Two men died from falling trees during the storms. A 60-year-old man was struck in Dumfries and Galloway, while a man in his 20s died in Finchley, north London. John Swinney, Scotland's first minister, met with senior politicians, emergency teams, and forecasters on Sunday to coordinate the response. On Monday, he posted on X that his thoughts were with those affected by the damage and thanked emergency services for their overnight work.

Flooding occurred in several locations. In Largs, residents reported water levels they had not seen in 36 years. Staff at the Thai restaurant Tha-Tien-Thai shared video of their kitchen underwater and announced the venue would close for the foreseeable future due to extensive restoration needs. Emergency services responded to a flooded care home in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, on Sunday evening. Police Scotland confirmed all residents were accounted for and officers remained on site overnight.

Travel networks experienced significant interruptions. Flights were diverted from Leeds Bradford, England's highest airport, while others were canceled. Most train services had resumed normal operations by Monday, though operators advised customers to verify schedules before traveling. The high winds also forced the abandonment of Sunday racing at Aintree.