Coastal Light Events Cancelled As Storm Boelo Brings Severe Winds

Two major illuminated evening events in Scarborough and Whitby have been cancelled this weekend due to severe weather warnings.

Two major evening light trails on the Yorkshire Coast are cancelled this weekend as severe gales from Storm Boelo threaten public safety.

Thousands of ticket holders for Moonlight on the Lake in Scarborough and Illuminated Whitby Abbey will receive automatic refunds after organisers pulled the plug on the outdoor attractions.

Wind gusts of up to 80 mph are expected to batter exposed coastal areas over the coming days.

Forecasters expect the severe conditions to worsen throughout Saturday and persist into Sunday, with heavy rain combining with the strong gales.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said:

"Storm Boelo will bring a very windy and wet spell this weekend with some disruption likely across parts of northern UK.

"Strong winds will spread across northern parts of the UK during Saturday afternoon, combining with spells of heavy rain. Initially strong southerly winds will affect parts of Scotland before more widespread and even stronger westerly winds develop later on Saturday.

"Very windy conditions will then persist overnight and through much of Sunday before gradually easing from the southwest later. Gusts of 55-65 mph are likely widely with some coastal and exposed areas potentially seeing gusts of 70-80 mph or more, these strongest gusts most likely across Scotland and the far north of England."

In Scarborough, the highly anticipated Moonlight on the Lake event at Peasholm Park will no longer go ahead on Friday or Saturday.

The attraction was designed to take visitors on a journey around the park to celebrate the town's heritage with hundreds of handmade lanterns reflecting on the water.

Event organisers confirmed that rescheduling is not possible.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Council said:

"We're sorry to announce that due to the worsening weather forecast and increased stormy conditions, Moonlight on the Lake at Peasholm PArk in Scarborough has been cancelled on safety grounds. This applies to both today and tomorrow.

"With wind gusts expected to reach unsafe levels, the safety of our visitors and staff must remain our top priority.

"Unfortunately, we are unable to reschedule the event, but all ticket holders will receive an automatic refund within the next 10 days."

The creative team behind the Scarborough installations expressed their disappointment after months of preparation.

The event was part of celebrations marking the town's 400th anniversary as England's first seaside spa town.

A spokesperson for Animated Objects Theatre Company said:

"We’re absolutely devastated after months of hard work preparing lanterns and illuminations to entertain visitors, but public safety has to come first, particularly in an outdoor setting.

"We completely support North Yorkshire Council’s decision to cancel the event. The safety of visitors and our team is our top priority, and it would be irresponsible to go against the Met Office advice.

"Please note that our team are responsible for making all the beautiful hand made lanterns and installations, not for ticketing, and we cannot respond to any queries on this matter. Any questions about tickets should please be directed to NYC / Scarborough Fair who are managing that aspect of the event.

"Thanks to support from Arts Council England and North Yorkshire Council we shall still be displaying a number of large scale lanterns and illuminations to celebrate Scarborough’s 400th anniversary as England’s first seaside spa town at different locations over the coming month when hopefully the weather will be kinder."

Further up the coast, severe weather from both Storm Austen and Storm Boelo has forced the closure of Illuminated Whitby Abbey.

The evening illumination event will not take place on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.

While the abbey ruins will remain open to daytime visitors until 2 pm on Saturday, the historic site will close completely on Sunday.

A spokesperson for English Heritage said:

"The safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers must come first and the forecast weather conditions mean it is not safe to operate as planned.

"If you have pre-booked tickets for Illuminated Whitby Abbey, these will be automatically refunded within 10 working days.

"We sincerely apologise for any disappointment caused and will review conditions again on Monday morning."