Storm Austen brings power cuts and travel disruption as more wind and rain forecast

Storm Austen has left more than 15,000 homes without power as it batters southern England and Wales with gusts of up to 84mph, the BBC reports. The first named storm of the season made landfall in the south-west overnight and tracked eastwards throughout Friday.

The National Grid said engineers had restored power to more than 60,000 properties since the storm began. In Brighton, part of the iconic West Pier fell into the sea as huge waves battered the coast, while in Horsham a car was badly damaged when a tree fell onto it — though the driver escaped unharmed.

Travel remains disrupted: some ferry services between the UK and France were cancelled, Cornwall Airport Newquay suspended flights, Exeter airport showed multiple cancellations, and train operators warned of disruption over the weekend.

Millions remain under yellow weather warnings for wind and rain. On Saturday, Storm Boelo — the second named storm in two days — is forecast to bring more strong winds and heavy rain. The Met Office has issued an amber wind warning for much of Scotland, with gusts of 60-70mph and up to 80mph on exposed coasts, plus yellow wind warnings for Orkney, Northern Ireland and northern England.

Paul Aked, head of Jersey Met, said gusts in Guernsey reached 76mph, equivalent to hurricane force, while Jersey Airport said flights would not resume until at least 17:00. The Met Office advised people to drive cautiously in strong wind and to secure loose items.