LONDON — Storm Boelo battered parts of the United Kingdom on Saturday, leaving thousands of homes without electricity, disrupting transport services and forcing the cancellation of public events as authorities warned of winds reaching 128 kilometers per hour (80 miles per hour).
The UK Met Office issued six weather warnings covering much of the country for Saturday and Sunday, including amber wind alerts as the second named storm of the season swept across Britain.
According to the National Grid, thousands of households remained without power as strong winds caused widespread disruption.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England were expected to experience the worst conditions, with wind gusts forecast to reach 128 kilometers per hour, the BBC reported.
The severe weather forced organizers to cancel Halloween events in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while a marathon in North Wales was also called off.
Knowsley Safari Park in Merseyside, northwest England, announced that it would remain closed Sunday because of the storm.
National Rail warned of disruptions across several railway lines, while highway authorities urged motorists to exercise extreme caution and avoid non-essential journeys.
Air travel was also affected in neighboring Ireland, where Dublin Airport announced the cancellation of nine departing flights and 10 arriving flights because of adverse weather conditions.
The storm was expected to cause further disruption throughout the weekend, with an amber wind warning for Scotland remaining in effect for 24 hours.
The Met Office warned that powerful winds could cause electricity outages, flying debris, damage to buildings and trees, transport disruptions and dangerously high waves along coastal areas.
Authorities also cautioned that being outdoors during the strongest winds could increase the risk of injury and advised residents to remain indoors whenever possible.
An amber wind warning was issued for parts of Northern Ireland from 8 p.m. GMT Saturday until 9 a.m. Sunday.
Yellow rain warnings were also issued for southwest, northwest and southeast England, the West Midlands and Wales as heavy rainfall threatened additional disruption.
Source: Saudi Gazette