Boy, 9, dies as Storm Malik hits UK with 100mph winds

Storm Malik brought gusts of 147mph to the UK (image: Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images)Storm Malik brought gusts of 147mph to the UK (image: Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images)
Storm Malik brought gusts of 147mph to the UK (image: Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images)

A 9-year-old boy and a woman, 60, have died and thousands have been left without power after Storm Malik brought winds of more than 100mph to Northern parts of the UK.

Met Office Yellow weather warnings for wind remain in place this evening (29 January) for the Shetland Islands as well as coastal areas of Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Yorkshire.

Weather forecasters have also introduced new yellow weather warnings for Storm Corrie across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England on Sunday and Monday.

The latest storm is a separate area of intense low pressure to that of Storm Malik.

2 deaths and thousands without power

A 60-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Aberdeen this morning, as Storm Malik’s strong winds hit Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England.

According to Police Scotland, emergency services were called out to Deveron Road in the north west of the city at 10.30am.

They were unable to revive her.

Her death was followed by that of a 9-year-old boy in Staffordshire this afternoon.

Staffordshire Police said a tree fell on the child and a man in Hollington Road, Winnothdale at around 1pm.

They were both taken to the Royal Stoke University Hospital but efforts to save the boy proved unsuccessful.

His family has been informed while the man remains in hospital, the force said.

Gusts of up to 85mph were recorded near Aberdeen but have peaked at 147mph in the Cairngorms.

This weather has caused widespread disruption to both power and mobile signal with around 40,000 properties reportedly without power in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perthshire and the Moray Coast.

It is expected about 20,000 will be without power overnight.

Another 5,000 households are waiting to be reconnected in the Borders, Lothians and Fife.

SP Energy Networks, the company responsible for the electricity power grid in central and southern Scotland, has urged customers to keep a battery or wind-up torch to hand and keep mobile phones fully charged. It said people should also be aware of fallen power lines.

Northern Powergrid, which supplies power to around 3.9m homes in the North East of England and Yorkshire, said Storm Malik had knocked out power for 78,000 properties but had not caused as much damage as Storm Arwen.

Storm Malik is set to be followed by Storm Corrie on Sunday and Monday (image: PA)Storm Malik is set to be followed by Storm Corrie on Sunday and Monday (image: PA)
Storm Malik is set to be followed by Storm Corrie on Sunday and Monday (image: PA)

As of 4pm, 30,000 customers were still without power in Northumberland and County Durham areas.

“Our teams are responding, restoring power through alternative routes on our network where possible, assessing damage and co-ordinating repairs wherever conditions permit,” said a spokesperson for the firm.

Travel has also been heavily affected by the strong winds brought by Storm Malik, with rail service cancellations reported on Saturday morning due to trees falling on lines.

Network Rail Scotland said it had introduced some speed restrictions for safety, and has also placed additional staff on standby to deal with blocked tracks.

Storm Corrie yellow weather warnings

While Storm Malik has mostly passed, the Met Office said it would soon be followed by Storm Corrie.

The weather organisation has introduced yellow weather warnings for wind for most of Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland and the North of England.

Gusts of 70 to 80mph are expected in coastal locations and mountainous areas and could even rise to 90mph in particularly exposed parts of Scotland.

Inland, gusts are anticipated to be between 60 to 70mph.

The warnings kick in from 6pm on Sunday (30 January) and will be in place until 12pm the following day.

According to the Met Office, the strong winds are likely to disrupt travel and generate some large and dangerous waves in coastal areas.