Tree fall kills man as Storm Boelo lashes southern Scotland

Tree collapse kills 60‑year‑old man as Storm Boelo batteres southern Scotland. Police Scotland said the victim was pronounced dead at the scene near the town of Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway at about 10:30 on Sunday. The storm has also driven wind gusts up to 85 mph at Machrihanish, Argyll and Bute, and 84 mph at Stornoway and Capel Curig. An amber wind warning stays in force until 21:00 Sunday across Scotland and the northern English counties, while a yellow warning covers Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, parts of the Midlands and North Wales. The Met Office advised people to remain indoors and avoid walking close to buildings or trees. More than 82,000 households were still without electricity on Sunday, even though 344,900 customers have been re‑connected since Storm Austen began on Friday. Engineers say dangerous conditions are slowing repairs. Flood warnings affect four areas in England and Wales and seventeen in Scotland, with the Highlands recording 130 mm of rain at the Cluanie Inn. Scottish ministers met on Sunday afternoon and warned that further unsettled weather may return. Police have asked drivers to limit trips, several ferry services were cancelled and flights to Belfast, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dublin were suspended. Train services faced delays nationwide. Local events including Merseyside’s River of Light, Knowsley Safari Park, markets in Salford and Cheshire, the Worksop Half Marathon and several theme parks were all called off. ## Context Storm Boelo is the first major windstorm of the season, bringing the kind of high‑speed gusts and heavy rain that regularly trigger power cuts and event cancellations across the UK.