The key facts
- KLM cancelled 149 flights due to Storm Boelo, offering passengers rebooking
- Ferry services between Harlingen and the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling were suspended on 25 and 26 October
- In the United Kingdom, more than 57,000 homes in northern England were left without electricity
Storm Boelo disrupts transport in the Netherlands
Storm Boelo has disrupted the Netherlands' transport infrastructure. Schiphol Airport reduced the number of arriving and departing flights, while ferry operator Rederij Doeksen cancelled sailings to the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling. Emergency services in Friesland received numerous calls due to fallen trees and collapsed structures, Life.ru reports.
Scale of the storm and restrictions for airlines
According to the weather service Weeronline, wind gusts in Lelystad reached 115 km/h, while on Vlieland the wind force corresponded to nine on the Beaufort scale. The Dutch meteorological institute KNMI issued a yellow warning for coastal areas and warned of the risk of falling trees and damage to buildings. The restrictions affected the airlines KLM, easyJet and Lufthansa: KLM cancelled 149 flights, notifying passengers in advance, and offered customers rebooking on the next available flights.
Ferry services suspended
Ferry services between Harlingen and the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling were suspended on 25 and 26 October; some sailings between the islands themselves were also cancelled. Boelo was the second storm to affect transport links in the region within days: on 23 and 24 October, Storm Aitor affected the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and France.
Consequences in the United Kingdom
Earlier, due to the storm, more than 57,000 homes in the United Kingdom were left without electricity. On the morning of 25 October, large-scale outages affected Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria in northern England. In Scotland, wind gusts in places exceeded 38 metres per second, while in some parts of England forecasters predicted winds strengthening to 31 metres per second. The UK Met Office issued yellow and amber warnings; the most serious threat remained for Scotland, Northern Ireland and the northern English counties.
Why this matters
Two storms in a row within days — Aitor and then Boelo — have successively disrupted air and ferry services in one of Europe's key transport hubs. For passengers, this means concrete practical consequences: cancelled KLM flights with rebooking offers and ferry services to the islands of Vlieland and Terschelling suspended until the end of 26 October. Residents of coastal areas of the Netherlands and the northern counties of England, according to weather service warnings, should take into account the ongoing risk of falling trees and power supply disruptions.
