Communities across Wales faced severe disruption on Sunday, October 25, 2026, as Storm Boelo swept across the region. The storm brought torrential rain, destructive winds, and widespread power outages just days after Storm Austen. Emergency services, local councils, and transport operators scrambled to clear hazardous roads, manage railway suspensions, and respond to rising floodwaters.
The ferocious weather system delivered peak wind gusts of 84 mph (135 km/h) in Capel Curig, Conwy county, on Saturday. It also brought heavy downpours that registered 2.1 inches (54.6 mm) in the same area. Nearby in Cardiff, Bute Park recorded 2.2 inches (55.2 mm) of rain over Saturday, severely straining local drainage systems and elevating river levels.
Natural Resources Wales issued four active flood warnings for the River Ely on Sunday morning, prompting safety appeals for residents in vulnerable areas. Authorities urged citizens to evacuate if safe to do so. Cowbridge Road in Ely, Cardiff, closed entirely due to high river levels. Videos shared across social media captured hazardous driving conditions, with motorists attempting to navigate heavily waterlogged streets.
Power Outages Leave Hundreds in the Dark
The combination of intense gales and falling debris severely impacted the national power grid, leaving hundreds of households without electricity. In Rhayader, Powys, 555 homes lost power on Sunday morning. An additional 100 properties across south Wales also experienced outages.
Utility distributor SP Energy Networks reported handling 14 separate unplanned power cuts across north and mid Wales. National Grid engineers deployed crews to address the faults. They issued apologies to affected customers and stated that repair teams were working to restore supplies as quickly and safely as possible.
Travel and Transport Brought to a Standstill
Transport networks bore the brunt of the turbulent weather conditions. Significant cancellations affected road, rail, and sea links throughout Wales:
- Railways: Transport for Wales implemented replacement bus services on multiple routes. Incidents included blocked tracks between Cardiff Central and Bridgend, as well as severe flooding on the line running between Bridgend and Maesteg.
- Roads: North Wales Police issued strict safety warnings regarding heavy debris and downed trees along the A470, specifically between the Black Cat Roundabout and Llanrwst in Conwy county. Local authorities in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Cardiff also logged numerous reports of fallen trees blocking local streets, such as Main Road in Gwaelod-y-Garth and residential roads in Roath.
- Ferries: Cross-channel sailings faced immediate disruption. Stena Line cancelled its 10:00 GMT service from Holyhead to Dublin. Irish Ferries pulled two sailings on the same route and warned of potential early departures for afternoon services. The Pembroke to Rosslare ferry service also experienced cancellations before later sailings resumed.
Ongoing Recovery After Back-to-Back Storms
While most of Wales sat outside the strictest Met Office weather warnings during Storm Boelo, a yellow wind warning remained active for parts of northern Wales until 21:00 GMT on Sunday.
The latest gale compounded recovery efforts from Storm Austen, which had battered the region just days prior. In Llangrannog, Ceredigion, staff and local volunteers at the Tafell a Tân cafe rallied together on Saturday for a major clean-up operation. They used machinery to clear heavy sand deposits that had forced the coastal business to close on Friday.
Emergency services continue to urge motorists and pedestrians to exercise extreme caution, avoid damaged infrastructure, and monitor updated weather alerts as recovery operations proceed across the country.
