Storm Boelo leaves thousands without power as Met Office issues new wind warning

A clean-up operation is under way in parts of the UK after Storm Boelo caused flooding and property damage, leaving thousands without power.

The Energy Networks Association (ENA) said around 22,600 properties were still without power.

Two men were killed by falling trees during the storm on Sunday - a man in his 20s whose car was hit in north London and a 60-year-old man in Dumfries and Galloway identified as Richard Baines, the long-serving curator of Logan Botanic Garden.

A yellow warning for strong winds came in effect on Monday evening across the west coast of England, Wales and Scotland and eastern parts of Northern Ireland and expired on Tuesday morning.

The Met Office has warned about the possibility of further power cuts and people should make sure they have essentials prepared, including torches and batteries.

Boelo is the second storm to have hit parts of the UK in recent days, following Storm Austen.

Leo Slade, CEO of the ENA said it had been "a tough weekend" and that efforts to reconnect some properties were being hampered by the weather, with sustained winds of 50-85mph across parts of Scotland and northern England.

"Until that weather system passes, we can't safely get engineers out to replace poles, to get wires back up, so today is going to be a hive of activity in getting engineers out into the field," he told the BBC.

He stressed that the UK's power network was very resilient and money was spent to prepare for these sorts of scenarios, but said a debate was needed over how much more investment was required to mitigate for further storms brought by climate change.

Marcus Reed, operations director at a home fragrance manufacturer, said his factory and shop in Lyndal, Cumbria were without power until Tuesday evening.

"To lose two days manufacturing and distribution is going to be really disruptive," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, adding that it was bad timing as it was "the busiest time of the year" for his business in the lead-up to Christmas.

"This is probably the worst situation I've experienced in my time here; we've had ad hoc issues over weekends where we've lost power, but it's been contained within a 12-hour period. It's the first time anything like this has happened, it's very serious."

Wendy McKinney, whose bathroom shop in the seaside town of Largs in North Ayrshire was flooded on Sunday, said the storm had been "devastating to local businesses".

Disruption to travel continued on Monday, and some schools in Scotland were shut either due to lack of power, heating, water or damage.

Another yellow warning of wind has been issued by the Met Office, covering much of Scotland, as well as parts of northern England and Northern Ireland until 23:59 on Tuesday.

Additional reporting by Ben Rich, lead weather presenter.