UK braces for Storm Boelo days after Storm Austen brought amber wind warning

The Met Office named Storm Boelo at 11:19 BST on Thursday 22 October 2026, making it the second named storm of the 2026-27 UK storm season, less than two days after Storm Austen was named on 20 October, according to the Met Office's press release and its UK Storm Centre page.

Boelo and Austen are separate low-pressure systems rather than one continuous event. Storm Austen brought an amber wind warning for Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of West Devon, with disruptive winds forecast from Thursday evening 22 October into Friday 23 October, before clearing into the North Sea by Friday evening, the Met Office said. Boelo is now tracking toward the opposite end of the country, reaching Northern Ireland and western Scotland from Saturday afternoon.

Where and when Storm Boelo will hit

A yellow wind warning covers the whole of mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney and the far north of England from 18:00 on Saturday 24 October to 21:00 on Sunday 25 October, the Met Office said. A separate yellow warning for Northern Ireland runs from 18:00 Saturday to 15:00 Sunday, according to the Met Office.

Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said Storm Boelo "will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England over the weekend," with gusts of "70-80mph in exposed coastal areas and high ground" possible, per the Met Office's statement.

Expected wind speeds and hazards

Forecasters expect widespread gusts of 50-65mph across the warning area, rising to 70-80mph on exposed coasts and high ground, according to the Met Office, a figure echoed by regional coverage from the Northern Times (Highland News & Media), which reported gusts of 55-65mph widely and up to 70-80mph or more on exposed coasts.

The Met Office warning lists transport disruption on road, rail, sea and air links and a risk of flying debris across the warning area. Coastal areas face a risk of large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, the warning states.

Heavy rain is forecast to move in from the west through Saturday, spreading across the UK, with the heaviest and most frequent bursts over western Scotland, the Met Office said. STV News reported that some higher ground in Scotland could also see snow accompanying the rain and gales.

Background

UK and Irish storm names are assigned jointly by the Met Office, Met Éireann and the Dutch meteorological service KNMI, compiled from public suggestions plus names put forward by Met Éireann and KNMI as part of an annual list. The Met Office gives the pronunciation of Boelo as "Boo-loh" but has not published further detail on the name's origin or who suggested it.

According to the Met Office's UK Storm Centre page, a storm is named in the UK when it has the potential to cause disruption or damage that could result in an amber or red warning.

The Met Office advised people in warning areas to keep checking the latest forecasts and warnings as Boelo's track develops, noting that confidence in exact wind strength and timing can change in the days before a storm arrives.