Storm Boelo brought fresh travel chaos to London on Sunday, forcing the cancellation of more than 100 flights at Heathrow and Gatwick and prompting a last-minute cancellation of the capital’s annual Diwali celebration in Trafalgar Square, as the Met Office warned of danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves.
Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, saw heavy disruption to short-haul services, while Gatwick urged passengers to check flight status before travelling due to hazardous high winds. Cancelled Sunday flights included British Airways services to Edinburgh, Paris and Rome, EasyJet flights to Amsterdam and Jersey, and services operated by Lufthansa, Air France, Aer Lingus and Vueling.
Airlines have adjusted schedules to prevent a complete gridlock of the network, but the outer bands of the storm continue to restrict flight volumes into London even as the worst of the 85mph gusts track across Scotland and northern England.
On the ground, Network Rail Scotland reported flooding at a Glasgow station and fallen trees above the lines near another, with speed restrictions and several railway closures in place. Major roads in Scotland were closed due to collapsed trees, cables on carriageways, strong winds and damaged surfaces.
The amber Met Office warning zone covers Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, while a broader yellow wind warning reaches further south and runs until 9pm. Storm Boelo follows Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, which brought strong winds to southern parts of the UK on Friday and recorded gusts of 76mph at St Mary’s Airport in the Isles of Scilly.
The Environment Agency had issued five flood warnings and 33 flood alerts in northern England as of 11am, while the Scottish Environment Protection Agency reported 34 flood warnings and 11 flooding alerts active at the same time.
London’s annual Diwali and the Square celebrations were cancelled at the last minute after independent health and safety experts advised the Greater London Authority that heavy gales and persistent downpours on Saturday made it entirely unsafe to build and set up the staging in Trafalgar Square for Sunday’s festival.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Thousands of passengers face disrupted travel plans across London’s major airports, with knock-on effects on international connections.
- The cancellation of London’s Diwali festival affects a significant cultural event for the capital’s Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities.
- The storm follows closely after Storm Austen, indicating a period of unsettled weather that may continue to disrupt transport and events.
Background
Storm Boelo is the second named storm of the UK’s autumn season, arriving just days after Storm Austen struck southern parts of the country on Friday. The storm system is bringing severe gales, heavy rain and a risk of flooding, particularly across Scotland and northern England. The Met Office has warned of danger to life from flying debris and large waves, advising people to stay indoors where possible.
What to Watch
- Whether the amber wind warning is extended or downgraded as the storm moves through.
- The progress of flight resumption at Heathrow and Gatwick as conditions ease later on Sunday.
- Any further flood warnings issued by the Environment Agency and Sepa as rain continues over already saturated ground.
Checked
9 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.
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- SupportedStorm Boelo grounded flights at Heathrow and Gatwick.The Standard London: “The following flights scheduled for Sunday have been confirmed cancelled: British Airways BA1438 to Edinburgh”
- SupportedMore than 100 flights were disrupted.The Standard London: “Storm Boelo battered the UK, grounding more than 100 flights nationwide”
- Partly supportedMore than 100 flights were cancelled at Heathrow and Gatwick.The Standard London: “grounding more than 100 flights nationwide”
- Partly supported85mph winds battered the UK.The Standard London: “While the worst of the 85mph gusts are tracking across Scotland and northern England, the outer bands of the weather system continue to heavily restrict flight volumes into London.”
- SupportedThe Met Office warned of danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves.The Standard London: “Storm Boelo brings a danger to life from flying debris and crashing waves and people should stay indoors as much as possible, the Met Office warned.”
- SupportedThe Trafalgar Square Diwali festival was cancelled after safety experts advised the GLA that conditions made setting up the staging unsafe.The Standard London: “Independent health and safety experts advised the Greater London Authority that heavy gales and persistent downpours on Saturday made it entirely unsafe to build and set up the staging in Trafalgar Square for Sunday's festival.”
- SupportedStorm Austen was the season’s first named storm and brought 76mph gusts at St Mary’s Airport on Friday.The Standard London: “Storm Boelo follows Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, which brought strong winds to southern parts of the UK on Friday. Gusts of 76mph were recorded at St Mary’s Airport in the Isles of Scilly”
- SupportedThe Environment Agency had issued five flood warnings and 33 flood alerts in northern England as of 11am.The Standard London: “The Environment Agency had issued five warnings that flooding is expected for spots in northern parts of England as of 11am, as well as 33 alerts where it is possible.”
- SupportedSEPA reported 34 flood warnings and 11 flooding alerts active at 11am.The Standard London: “The Scottish Environment Protection Agency said 34 flood warnings and 11 flooding alerts were active as of the same time.”