Storm Boelo brings wind, power outages and transport disruptions to Greater Manchester
Storm Boelo caused wind gusts up to 65 mph in Greater Manchester, leading to road blockages, power cuts for thousands of homes and cancellations of flights and train services.
Storm Boelo continued to affect Greater Manchester on Sunday, October 25, with wind gusts reaching 65 mph and a yellow weather warning in force until 9 p.m. The high winds knocked down dozens of trees, blocking roads in several suburbs and the A627 motorway in Oldham, and disrupting railway lines near Hadfield, between Wigan and St Helens, and at Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street stations.
Northern Rail posted on X that train services on multiple routes were suspended and that tickets issued for Sunday could be used on Monday 26 October and Tuesday 27 October at no extra cost. Metrolink services between East Didsbury and St Werburghs Road were also halted after a tree fell on the line.
Electricity North West reported 146 power cuts across the North West, including three each in Bolton and Wigan and one each in Oldham, Salford and Tameside. The company said engineers had restored electricity to more than 30,000 properties and were working to restore an additional 22,000, with an expected completion time of 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
"Teams continue to battle the elements as high winds and heavy rain have caused tree branches and debris to damage overhead lines in Cumbria and Lancashire," the utility said.
A rest centre was opened at Ashton Leisure Centre in Ashton-in-Makerfield after an electricity pole on Slag Lane was damaged, leaving around 200 homes without power. Flights were cancelled and "do not travel" warnings issued across the region.
Nationally, the storm produced large waves along the Wirral, Blackpool and the west coast of Scotland. Flood alerts were in place for 61 locations across England, though none were active in Greater Manchester at the time of reporting.
Police Scotland confirmed that a 60-year-old man died after being struck by a falling tree in Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway.
The Met Office forecast that winds would ease later on Sunday, with further wet and windy conditions expected on Monday and Tuesday, followed by more settled weather on Wednesday and Thursday.