Storm Malik: Boy, 9, dies after tree falls during storm

A nine-year-old boy and a 60-year-old woman have died after being hit by falling trees during Storm Malik.

The boy was killed after a tree fell in Winnothdale, Staffordshire, on Saturday afternoon, while the woman was killed in Aberdeen.

Power lines have also been affected with thousands of homes in Scotland and England without electricity.

An amber weather warning is in place along the east coast of Scotland and north-east England.

Much of the rest of Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England were under a yellow Met Office warning for wind.

A second storm – Storm Corrie – is expected to bring further high winds to Scotland on Sunday.

Police in Staffordshire said the nine-year-old boy and a man were taken to hospital after officers were called at 13:00 GMT.

“Sadly, despite the best efforts of medical staff, a nine-year-old boy passed away,” the force said.

“The boy’s family are being supported by specially-trained officers. The man remains in hospital.

“A scene remains at the location, where people are asked to avoid the area. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

In Aberdeen, Police Scotland said: “Emergency services were called to Deveron Road in Aberdeen around 10.30am on Saturday January 29 to reports of a sudden death of a 60-year-old woman.

“There are no suspicious circumstances. A report will now be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”

About 20,000 properties in Scotland are expected to remain off the power grid all night, and Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney predicted further problems with the arrival of Storm Corrie.

Northern Powergrid, which supplies power to about 3.9m homes in the north east of England and Yorkshire, said 36,000 customers were still without power as result of Storm Malik, mostly in Northumberland and County Durham.

Storm Malik prompted disruption to road and rail routes. In Yorkshire, one man escaped with cuts and bruises from a van crushed by a tree that fell in strong winds.

Warnings are in place across Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, as well as northern and eastern England.

An amber wind warning for northern Scotland is active from 17:00 on Sunday until 06:00 on Monday.

A yellow wind warning is in place in Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, as well as northern and eastern England from 15:00 on Sunday to 12:00 GMT on Monday.

There is a yellow wind warning for Orkney and Shetland from 12:00 until 20:00 on Saturday.