Man dies after being hit by falling tree during Storm Boelo

A 60-year-old man has been killed by a falling tree in Dumfries and Galloway during Storm Boelo.Police Scotland said the man was on a road at Mid Kelton, near the Castle Douglas area, when he was struck by the falling tree at around 10.30am on Sunday.A spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a 60-year-old man having been struck by a falling tree on a minor road at Mid Kelton near Castle Douglas around 10.30am on Sunday October 25 2026.“The man was pronounced dead at the scene.“There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in due course.”Storm Boelo has brought 80mph gusts and travel disruptions to much of Scotland this weekend, shortly after Storm Austen brought heavy rain to many areas on Friday.The Met Office has warned of potential injuries and danger to life from flying debris as well as a chance of damage to buildings, power cuts and travel disruption.The amber wind warning came into force at 9pm on Saturday night, and will remain in place until 9pm on Sunday, with only Orkney remaining under a yellow warning.The storm brought 80mph wind gusts to Islay, just off the West Coast in Argyll and Bute, overnight on Sunday.Tiree saw 82mph gusts at about 4am, and in the Glasgow region, the Met Office recorded up to 62mph wind gusts at the same time.(PA Graphics)PA GraphicsIt has also caused disruption from fallen trees and flooding on the roads in Scotland overnight.Between the latest updates from SP Energy Networks (SPEN) and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), around 53,000 homes in Scotland are still without power.The Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) met to discuss the impact of the storm on Sunday afternoon where ministers discussed the outages and how they are being restored.Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “As we experience a third consecutive day of weather warnings with continued strong winds forecast until later today, it is important that people keep up to date on the impact the conditions are having in their local area.Read More“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.“If anyone is isolated or needs help or assistance, they should not hesitate to seek help from the appropriate authorities.Signs at the Ferry terminal at Wemyss Bay (Jane Barlow/PA)PA Wire“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.”Stuart Wilson, of Transport Scotland, said: “The weekend of storms has brought challenges across the transport network and, in some cases, there will be significant recovery work required before we have the network back to normal.“Our operating companies are working around the clock to restore parts of the trunk road network that have been impacted.“The Traffic Scotland website and X account have regular updates on trunk road conditions, so I’d continue to urge drivers to plan their journey before setting off, particularly ahead of the return to work on Monday morning.“The conditions have also impacted rail, ferry and air networks, so it’s vital travellers check with operators to see if their services have been affected.”Network Rail said most train services will return to normal on Monday, though passengers have been urged to check their journeys online beforehand.It said teams have cleared up felled trees and debris from tracks, and have repaired overhead lines and flooding that his disrupted the network.Work is expected to continue throughout Sunday evening and overnight.Network Rail said the following areas may still be affected by Monday morning:– Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh– Inverness to Thurso/Wick– Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William/ObanGary Hopkirk, route director at Network Rail Scotland, 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.“Our focus throughout has been on keeping people safe and trains moving wherever possible.“Now the worst of the weather has passed, our attention is on getting the railway back to normal. We’ll be working as quickly as we can, but we won’t compromise on safety.“We know disruption is frustrating and we really appreciate the patience people have shown this weekend while our teams do everything they can to get everyone moving again.”Flood water on the A8 in Port Glasgow (Jane Barlow/PA)PA WireMark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, added : “Thanks to the tireless efforts of Scotland’s railway engineers and staff, the vast majority of routes impacted by Storm Boelo will be open on Monday, with services running from the start of service across much of the country.“The scale of the operation is significant, with teams working around the clock to clear fallen trees, repair damaged overhead power lines and other railway infrastructure and carry out essential safety inspections.“While good progress is being made, there are still a small number of routes where work will continue into Monday 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.“We’re grateful to customers for their continued patience and understanding and would encourage everyone to check their journey on the ScotRail app or website before travelling for the latest information.”For the latest updates as recovery work continues, follow @NetworkRailScot on X.Several roads and bridges dotted around Scotland remain closed, according to Traffic Scotland’s website.Of CalMac’s 30 ferry services, 27 have been cancelled, some of them until Monday.Three other services are facing disruption or last-minute cancellations because of the weather.Several rail lines in western and northern Scotland have also closed as a result of the strong wind and heavy rain warnings across the country.Services south and west of Kilwinning in North Ayrshire stopped from 9pm on Saturday while further north the Oban and Mallaig lines closed from about 10pm.A fishing boat is stranded at Irvine Harbour in North Ayrshire after coming loose from its moorings during Storm Boelo (Jane Barlow/PA)PA WireOn Sunday, the line between Kyle of Lochalsh and Achnashellach in the Highlands were closed from the start of service, as well as the railway between Wick and Helmsdale.At around 10.30am, the train operator said services between Glasgow Central and Kilmarnock may be delayed or revised due to a tree blocking the railway between Stewarton and Dunlop.ScotRail said speed restrictions are also expected across much of the network from late Saturday night and throughout Sunday, with the potential for restrictions to remain in place on the Far North Line between Inverness and Wick into Monday morning.These restrictions mean trains will operate at lower speeds than normal, resulting in longer journey times, delays and possible cancellations.ScotRail has advised people to check before travelling and to consider alternative arrangements where possible.The rail operator also said people with tickets for travel on Saturday or Sunday can travel on any service on Saturday, or use their ticket once routes reopen following the storm, including on Monday.As of 12pm on Saturday, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) had 11 regional flood alerts and 11 local flood warnings in place across parts of the country.The agency said there is a risk of surface water, river and coastal flooding across many parts of Scotland this weekend.In a Facebook post, Sepa said: “The stormy weather will continue to bring surface water, river and coastal flooding to many parts of Scotland.“Through Sunday, coastal flooding impacts are likely in the west and north. There could also be river and surface water impacts in the north due to continued heavy rain.“This weather will continue into the start of the week so for up to date information, please check our flooding page: https://beta.sepa.scot/flooding/ and always check before you travel.“We continue to urge people to be extra careful, particularly around coastal areas and stay away from flooded promenades and crashing waves.”Flooding also hit parts of Scotland’s west coast overnight.In a widely shared video on social media, flood water is seen running down Largs Main Street past businesses and roads.The business which shared the video on Facebook claimed that the street flooded “at its highest level ever”.Police also warned drivers on Arran to avoid the A841 between Lochranza and Pirnmill, which is closed due to a sink hole.“Please do not attempt to use either route and consider whether your journey is essential in the current conditions if you do need to drive,” Ayrshire police said on social media.