Man killed by falling tree in Storm Boelo

It’s as conditions continued to affect northern parts of the UK with winds gusts reaching 84mph

The 60-year-old man was not in a vehicle when he was hit on a minor road in Dumfries and Galloway, western Scotland, at about 10.30am on Sunday.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and a Police Scotland spokesperson said: “There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.”

Footage showed floodwater coursing around the town of Largs, North Ayrshire, on Sunday.

Staff at its Thai restaurant Tha-Tien-Thai shared a video of their kitchen over-run by water with the caption: “There is nothing left.”

It closed its doors for the foreseeable “due to larger flood restoration than originally planned”.

Some flights were diverted from landing at Leeds Bradford Airport and others were cancelled.

An airport spokesperson thanked customers for their patience, adding: “We appreciate that this is a challenging situation. Our teams are working in very difficult conditions to support passengers as best they can.”

Train journeys were also disrupted. Network Rail Scotland shared an image of flooding from the tracks to the platform in one Glasgow station and fallen trees above the lines near another.

Speed restrictions are in place across Scotland and several sections of its railways have been closed, the operator added.

It came after Network Rail posted photographs of a trampoline beneath a train and a shed by the tracks, in a call for those living near rail lines to firmly secure their garden furniture.

Collapsed trees, cables on carriageways, strong winds and damaged surfaces prompted closures to major roads in Scotland.

A fishing boat was stranded at Irvine Harbour in Ayrshire after coming loose from its moorings when Storm Boelo passed through the area. 

Stuart Wilson, Transport Scotland, said “significant recovery work” is required before the network returns to normal.

Meanwhile Scottish Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Disruption to travel is likely to continue into tomorrow and I strongly recommend people check official sources such as the Met Office, Traffic Scotland, transport operators and local authority channels before setting out.

“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.”

 

Published: by Radio NewsHub

Source: https://www.radionewshub.com/articles/news-updates/Man-killed-by-falling-tree-in-Storm-Boelo