Environment agencies issue flood warnings across England, Scotland and Wales after the storms

The Environment Agency issued 10 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, and 65 flood alerts, where it is possible, early on Monday 26 October 2026, after Storm Boelo and Storm Austen brought high winds and rain to the UK over the weekend¹. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said 10 flood warnings and 11 flood alerts were in place, while Natural Resources Wales reported nine flood alerts active at the same time¹.

Two men were killed by falling trees on Sunday. Police Scotland said a 60-year-old man was struck by a falling tree on a minor road at Mid Kelton at about 10.30am on Sunday 25 October 2026 and was pronounced dead at the scene¹. In London, a man in his 20s was killed when a tree fell on to his car at 12.40pm as he drove through Mill Hill in the north of the city¹.

The Met Office said wind speeds widely reached 60-70mph in an amber warning zone that came into force at 9pm on Saturday, covering Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, with gusts of more than 80mph in exposed coastal spots¹. Tiree in the Inner Hebrides was hit by 82mph winds, Argyll and Bute reached 84mph and Snowdonia (Eryri) 83mph, according to the forecaster¹. The amber warning sat within wider yellow wind warnings covering parts of England farther south, north Wales and the whole of Northern Ireland¹.

Power cuts hit 838,700 homes across Britain during the two storms. By 7pm on Sunday, 90,600 customers were still without power, according to the Energy Networks Association (ENA)¹. Northern Powergrid said on Sunday evening that 13,000 customers in Yorkshire and the north-east were expected to be without power beyond Sunday night, and that electricity had already been restored to 102,000 customers¹.

Cumbria police said they had received a number of calls overnight to localised flooding and fallen trees blocking roads across the county, and urged motorists to drive with care while emergency services worked to clear the obstructions¹. Network Rail Scotland shared an image of flooding from the tracks to the platform at one Glasgow station and fallen trees above the lines near another; speed restrictions were in place across Scotland and several sections of its railways were closed¹. Some flights were diverted from landing at Leeds Bradford airport and others were cancelled¹.

The Met Office advised people in affected areas to secure loose items in gardens and to stay indoors as the storm posed a danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves¹. Network Rail reminded people living near rail lines to firmly secure objects in their gardens¹. The Scottish government's resilience room met on Sunday afternoon to discuss the impact of the storm, with ministers focusing on the outages and how they were being restored, and First Minister John Swinney met senior politicians, emergency agencies and forecasters¹.

Why it matters for households

Flood warnings mean flooding is expected in the areas named, and alerts mean it is possible; the three agencies publish the areas covered through their own flood warnings services, and the Floodline numbers for England, Scotland and Wales are listed separately. Responsibility for flood risk is split between the agencies, councils and water companies, as set out in who manages flood risk; Natural Resources Wales warnings and risk maps are covered in the Wales guide.

Households in the areas covered by warnings face possible flooding of roads and property, and those still without power after the weekend face loss of heating, lighting and cooking. The Met Office advice to secure loose garden items and stay indoors applies to affected areas, and Network Rail's reminder about objects near rail lines follows images of a trampoline beneath a train and a shed by the tracks¹.

What happens next

The Met Office forecast that similar conditions would return early next week, and Somerville said disruption to travel was likely to continue into Monday, recommending people check official sources such as the Met Office, Traffic Scotland, transport operators and local authority channels before setting out¹. The ENA said network engineers were working to reconnect customers, with continuing severe weather in some regions limiting opportunities to safely start restoration work and access to certain areas remaining difficult¹.