Story perspectives

Storm Boelo Cuts Power to 150,000 UK Homes

By Drooid · Oct 26, 2026, 2:31 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Storm Boelo and Austen cut power to 150,000 UK homes and killed a man in Scotland.
Over 82,000 homes lost electricity in Britain, nearly 60,000 in France and 10,000 in Germany.
Winds reached 135 km/h in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, and 111 mph in Cornwall, England.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed at UK and Irish airports.
Rail services were suspended on Scottish lines.

History

Historical Context

The night of 15–16 October 1987, an extratropical cyclone struck southern England and northern France, producing 115 mph gusts at Shoreham, killing 22 people and leaving millions without power. In response, the Met Office overhauled observation networks and warning systems. Today’s Storm Boelo and Austen have again knocked out 150,000 UK homes, echoing the 1987 legacy and urging further grid upgrades.

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Story summary

Storm Boelo and Austen cut power to 150,000 UK homes and killed a man in Scotland.
Over 82,000 homes lost electricity in Britain, nearly 60,000 in France and 10,000 in Germany.
Winds reached 135 km/h in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, and 111 mph in Cornwall, England.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed at UK and Irish airports.
Rail services were suspended on Scottish lines.

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