Weather & Nature · Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Storm Boelo: how Edinburgh's flights and trains were hit, and what to do next time
Storm Boelo brought 60–70mph gusts to Scotland on 24–25 October, diverting an Edinburgh flight to Oslo and cutting trains north. Here's what happened and your rights if a storm disrupts your trip.
By Roamie News Desk · Published · Updated
Photo: Jim Barton / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
Storm Boelo swept across Scotland over the weekend of 24–25 October, bringing gusts of 60–70mph to much of the mainland and up to 80mph on exposed coasts, according to the Met Office. In Edinburgh, flights struggled to land and rail links to the north were cut back. A second spell of strong wind followed on Tuesday 27 October (STV News). If you're travelling to or through the Scottish capital this autumn, here's what happened and what to do if another storm hits.
What we know
- Warnings: the Met Office issued amber wind warnings for mainland Scotland for Saturday night and Sunday, following Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season (Met Office). Its chief forecaster said people "should prepare for the potential for disruption", particularly to travel and power supplies.
- Flights: a Ryanair flight from Faro abandoned its landing at Edinburgh on Saturday 24 October and diverted about 600 miles to Oslo, landing there around 6pm. Ryanair said it was "diverted to Oslo due to adverse weather conditions at Edinburgh Airport" (STV News).
- Rail: LNER cancelled almost all trains between Edinburgh and Aberdeen on Sunday 25 October, with the 13:47 Aberdeen–Edinburgh the only listed exception. It ran about one train an hour between Northallerton/Darlington and Newcastle/Edinburgh, and replacement coaches could not run between Edinburgh and Aberdeen (Rus Tourism News).
- Aftermath: by Monday afternoon SSEN said around 22,000 customers were still without power, and Network Rail said the vast majority of lines were running normally again after crews cleared fallen trees and repaired overhead lines (STV News). A 60-year-old man was killed by a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway on Sunday, STV reported.
- Tuesday: a yellow wind warning covered most of the Scottish mainland, including Lothian, from 3am to 9pm on 27 October, with gusts up to 70mph. ScotRail had speed restrictions in place because of heavy rain (STV News).
What it means for travellers
The storm itself has passed, and the Met Office expected more settled weather towards the end of the week (Met Office). But Boelo is a reminder of how Scotland's autumn storms tend to hit travel:
- Flights still run, but landings can fail. Strong crosswinds can force aborted landings and diversions, sometimes to another country, as the Oslo diversion showed (STV News).
- Rail lines north of Edinburgh are cut first. Operators may cancel services in advance, and on some routes no replacement buses can run (Rus Tourism News).
- Roads and power take longest to recover. Fallen trees and damaged sea walls kept some roads closed after the wind dropped (STV News).
What to do
- Watch the Met Office warnings for your travel dates. An amber warning is the signal to rethink non-essential journeys (Met Office).
- Flights: if your flight is cancelled, UK rules entitle you to a refund or rerouting, plus meals and, if needed, a hotel until you can fly. Fixed compensation usually doesn't apply to extreme weather, which counts as an "extraordinary circumstance" (UK Civil Aviation Authority).
- Trains: if your train is cancelled or you decide not to travel because of disruption, you can get a free refund on an unused ticket from the retailer. Delay Repay compensation applies to delays for any reason (National Rail).
- Keep receipts for anything you pay yourself, such as food or a hotel, and claim it back from the airline (UK Civil Aviation Authority).
- Build in slack. If you're connecting to a long-haul flight or a cruise, leave a buffer day in autumn and winter.
What happens next
The Met Office's outlook pointed to higher pressure and calmer conditions later in the week (Met Office). Scotland's storm season usually runs well into winter, so check forecasts and your operator's service updates before you set off.
Planning a Scotland trip? Roamie keeps your bookings, timeline and documents in one place, so a last-minute change is easier to manage.
Sources
- Warnings in place as Storm Boelo to impact UK — Met Office
- Ryanair flight aborts landing in Edinburgh as passengers diverted 600 miles away to Oslo during Storm Boelo — STV News
- Schools closed and 23,500 still without power after Storm Boelo — STV News
- Weather misery continues in wake of Storm Austen and Storm Boelo — STV News
- LNER cancels almost all Aberdeen trains Sunday as Storm Boelo hits — Rus Tourism News
- Flight cancellations: your rights — UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Compensation and refunds — National Rail