Thousands without power and schools shut after Storm Boelo

Read the original at Evening Standard ↗
Cite

Cameron, L. (2026, October 26). Thousands without power and schools shut after Storm Boelo. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/environment/network-rail-met-office-scottish-scotland-london-b1302334.html

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Evening Standard · collected 2026-10-26 · by Lucinda Cameron

Quick Summary

Storm Boelo caused widespread power outages and school closures across Scotland. As of Sunday evening, around 4,500 customers were still without electricity, with SSEN aiming to restore power to the remaining 25,000 impacted households. Schools in Aberdeenshire and the Highlands faced closures due to lack of power or storm damage, while road and ferry services experienced disruptions. The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room convened to address the aftermath, urging residents to stay vigilant for potential further severe weather conditions.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-26, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Storm Boelo hit parts of the UK, causing significant disruptions and leaving thousands without power. The storm brought sustained winds of up to 80mph, resulting in travel disruption, flooding, property damage, and power outages. Two men died during the storm: one from a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, and another in north London. Around 90,000 properties were without power as of Monday morning, with efforts to reconnect some properties hampered by ongoing weather conditions.

The Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) restored electricity to two-thirds of affected customers but continue restoration work for the remaining 25,000 customers in Scotland. ScotRail reported that most services are running on Monday morning, while several schools remained closed due to power outages or storm damage.

Additionally, the Energy Networks Association's CEO, Leo Slade, noted it had been "a tough weekend" and highlighted safety concerns for engineers working under hazardous weather conditions. Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville urged continued adherence to warnings as there is a possibility of more severe weather early in the week. Yellow and amber weather warnings for wind remained in effect across parts of the UK, indicating ongoing caution was necessary.

Written for “Storms Austen And Boelo Hits UK” on 2026-10-26, grounded in this article and the 47 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 107503 · logged 2026-10-26

Story

📰 Storms Austen And Boelo Hits UK
Environment · 48 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Daily Mail
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 9% hedged 3 of 34 📰 publisher trust 66
“Both articles describe the immediate impacts of Storm Boelo on Britain, including power outages and travel disruptions.”
Toronto Star
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 2 📰 publisher trust 64
“Both articles describe the impact of Storm Boelo on the U.K., including power outages, travel disruptions, and school closures.”
Evening Standard
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 2% hedged 1 of 43 📰 publisher trust 65
“Both articles describe the same storm (Storm Boelo) affecting Scotland around the same time, causing similar disruptions including power outages and travel issues.”
Evening Standard
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 6% hedged 2 of 35 📰 publisher trust 65
“Both articles describe the aftermath of Storm Boelo, including ongoing power outages and related incidents on the same day.”
BBC News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 14 📰 publisher trust 69
“Both articles describe the aftermath of Storm Boelo, including power outages and clean-up efforts on the same day.”
Evening Standard
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 8% hedged 1 of 13 📰 publisher trust 65
“Both articles describe the impact of Storm Boelo in the UK, including widespread travel disruption, power outages, and school closures.”
Evening Standard
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 20% hedged 4 of 20 📰 publisher trust 65
“Both articles describe the aftermath of Storm Boelo, including power outages and school closures, confirming they are reporting on the same incident.”
Evening Standard
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 16% hedged 4 of 25 📰 publisher trust 65
“Both articles describe the aftermath of Storm Boelo in the UK, including disruptions like travel cancellations and power outages.”
Evening Standard
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 15% hedged 4 of 27 📰 publisher trust 65
“Both articles describe the aftermath of Storm Boelo in the UK, including disruptions to travel, events, and power outages occurring on consecutive days.”
Evening Standard
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 15% hedged 2 of 13 📰 publisher trust 65
“Both articles describe the power outage in central and southern Scotland caused by Storm Boelo on the same day, involving SP Energy Networks.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
27
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 27 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
65/100
Evening Standard's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
48
Environment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-26 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Evening Standard · 7069 article(s) · 61 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 61 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Lucinda Cameron
36 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, added: “While good progress is being made, there are still a small number of routes where work will continue into Monday morning.
🔮 Rail lines in western and northern Scotland will close as Storm Boelo sweeps in on Saturday with gusts of up to 80mph forecast.
🔮 Forecasters have issued an amber alert warning that Scotland could be hit by gusts of up to 80mph this weekend as Storm Boelo sweeps in.
🔮 “It has engaged with the communities of Carloway, Barvas, Ness and Stornoway in identifying key individuals who will ensure that all the families who have suffered, due to one of the worst sea tragedies in the Isle of Lewis for a generation, will be supported for the future.
🔮 Prosecutor Alex Prentice KC said it is estimated that the trial will last 17 days.
🔮 Analysis of his skeleton found that during his life he suffered several injuries and was certainly not a soldier at the time of his death as he could not have swung a sword.
🔮 A post on the page ahead of the service said: “As family and friends prepare to say their final goodbyes, they are asking those who wish to pay their respects to consider a gesture of kindness that could make a real difference to the lives of others.
🔮 “He confirmed that the deceased was his possession and said that if he could not have her, no-one could.”
🔮 The “One Health” programme will focus on identifying emerging risks from mosquito and midge-borne diseases across the UK, with the aim of guiding how to prepare for them.
🔮 “Our communities are enriched by our diversity and racial hatred from cowards in ski masks will not be tolerated.
Also by Lucinda Cameron
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 36 articles by Lucinda Cameron →

Topics

North Ayrshire SP Energy Networks SSEN ScotRail Storm Boelo

Subjects

North Ayrshire GPE · 2× ScotRail ORG · 2× Aberdeenshire GPE · 1× Largs GPE · 1× Police Scotland ORG · 1× SP Energy Networks ORG · 1× SSEN ORG · 1× Saltcoats GPE · 1× Skelmorlie GPE · 1× The Scottish Government’s ORG · 1×

Narrative

Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said on Sunday: “While we expect some respite from the adverse weather during the day on Monday, there is a possibility of more severe weather conditions early on in the week and we urge everyone to continue to follow advice and heed any warnings.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-26
🔮 Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, added: “While good progress is being made, there are still a small number of routes where work will continue into Monday morning.
2026-10-26 · Evening Standard
Thousands without power and schools shut after Storm Boelo · assertive framing

Claims (27 extracted, 0 hedged)

Thousands of homes remain without power and several schools are closed following the fatal Storm Boelo. asserted
schools → remain → Boelo
The storm, which sparked yellow and amber weather warnings for wind across the country, resulted in power outages and travel disruption. asserted
which → spark → outages
An SSEN spokesperson said: “We’ve now restored power to two-thirds of customers impacted by Storm Boelo, and our focus today is firmly on reconnecting those who remain without supply. asserted
who → say → supply
“Our teams have been out from first light, assessing damage, carrying out repairs and working through faults as quickly and safely as conditions allow. asserted
conditions → assess → faults
“We know how difficult it is to be without power and we’re doing everything we can to restore supplies to the remaining 25,000 customers. asserted
we → know → customers
“We thank customers for their patience while our teams work as quickly and safely as possible to reconnect everyone.” asserted
teams → thank → everyone
SP Energy Networks said at 7.45pm on Sunday that around 4,500 customers were still without power. asserted
customers → say → power
ScotRail said that the “vast majority” of services were running on Monday morning. asserted
majority → say → morning
In Aberdeenshire, 13 primary schools without power were shut on Monday, while Ellon Academy was closed because of storm damage. asserted
Academy → shut → damage
Ten primary schools were shut in the Highlands. asserted
schools → shut → Highlands
The A78 Shore Road between Skelmorlie and Largs in North Ayrshire remains closed in both directions following “significant damage” to the carriageway and sea wall during Storm Boelo, while some ferry services are facing disruption. asserted
services → remain → disruption
On Sunday evening, emergency services were called to a flooded care home in Sidney Street, Saltcoats in North Ayrshire. asserted
services → call → Ayrshire
Police Scotland said everyone at the home was accounted for and that local road closures were in place. asserted
closures → say → place
Storm Boelo swept in soon after Storm Austen brought heavy rain to many areas on Friday. asserted
Austen → sweep → Friday
“My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the two people who have tragically lost their lives as a result of Storm Boelo,” he said. asserted
he → love → Boelo
“My thoughts are with all those affected by the damage, and I thank the emergency services working through the night to keep people safe.” asserted
I → affect → people
The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) met on Sunday to discuss the fallout from the storm. asserted
Room → meet → storm
Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said on Sunday: “While we expect some respite from the adverse weather during the day on Monday, there is a possibility of more severe weather conditions early on in the week and we urge everyone to continue to follow advice and heed any warnings. asserted
we → say → warnings
“If anyone is isolated or needs help or assistance, they should not hesitate to seek help from the appropriate authorities. asserted
they → isolate → authorities
“We continue to monitor the situation and work closely with partners to respond quickly and try to mitigate the effects of Storm Boelo as far as possible.” asserted
We → continue → Boelo
Gary Hopkirk, route director at Network Rail Scotland, thanked people for their patience. asserted
Hopkirk → thank → patience
He said: “It’s been a really challenging weekend for Scotland’s railway and particularly for the teams who’ve been out in some very difficult conditions responding to whatever the weather has thrown at us. asserted
weather → say → us
“Our focus throughout has been on keeping people safe and trains moving wherever possible. asserted
trains → keep → people
“Now the worst of the weather has passed, our attention is on getting the railway back to normal. asserted
railway → pass → weather
We’ll be working as quickly as we can, but we won’t compromise on safety.” asserted
we → work → safety
Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, added: “While good progress is being made, there are still a small number of routes where work will continue into Monday morning. asserted
work → add → morning
“We’re working closely with Network Rail to get these reopened as quickly as possible, but our priority remains the safety of our customers and staff, and trains will only resume when it is safe to do so.” asserted
it → work → customers
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