Thousands without electricity as Storm Boelo hits

Storm Boelo struck the island of Ireland on Saturday, knocking out electricity to thousands of homes and triggering a wave of transport cancellations, as the Met Office kept an amber wind warning in place across County Antrim and County Londonderry until 10:00 GMT on Sunday.

More than a thousand homes in Springfield, County Fermanagh, and a similar number in Bushmills, County Antrim, were reported without power as the storm swept through. Across the border in the Republic, over 1,600 homes lost electricity in Milford, County Donegal, while approximately 1,200 were affected in Aghagad, County Sligo.

Weather stations recorded some of the highest gusts of the season during the day. Malin Head in County Donegal logged 83 mph, while Orlock Head in County Down reached 78 mph, Magilligan in County Londonderry hit 73 mph, and Castlederg in County Tyrone recorded 70 mph. The Met Office warned that coastal areas could continue to see gusts close to 70 mph through the afternoon.

The amber warning, covering parts of Antrim and Londonderry, signalled a risk of significant disruption including potential damage to buildings, flying debris, and further power outages. A broader yellow warning for all six counties of Northern Ireland remained active until midday Sunday, with an additional yellow warning for County Donegal running until 15:00 local time.

Belfast City Airport suspended a series of departures and arrivals during the day. Outbound flights to Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, and Kirkwall were cancelled, while inbound services from Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, and Inverness were also grounded as conditions deteriorated.

Ferry operator Stena Line cancelled sailings on its Belfast to Cairnryan and Belfast to Liverpool routes. The Dublin to Holyhead crossing was reported unaffected. On the roads, Ballyrobin Road in County Antrim became impassable beyond the Seven Mile Straight junction, and the Glenshane Road in County Londonderry was blocked near the Castledawson roundabout.

Heavy rainfall accompanied the wind, adding to the strain on infrastructure. Castlederg and Lough Fea recorded almost 40 mm of rain, Killylane in the Antrim Glens measured more than 30 mm, and Stormont in Belfast also recorded around 30 mm.

Storm Boelo is the second named storm of the season. It follows Storm Austen, which struck southern England on Friday and was also responsible for leaving thousands of homes without power before tracking northward.

The Met Office advised residents across affected areas to secure outdoor furniture and bins, avoid exposed coastal locations because of dangerous wave conditions, and check travel plans before setting out. Authorities urged people to treat downed power lines as live and report them to the relevant network operators.

The amber warning is due to expire at 10:00 GMT on Sunday, at which point conditions are expected to ease across most of Northern Ireland, though yellow warnings will remain active in some areas into Sunday afternoon.