Storm Austen has battered parts of the United Kingdom, leaving thousands of homes without electricity, forcing schools to close and disrupting flights and train services as authorities issue weather and flood warnings.
The storm, which brought strong winds and heavy rainfall on Friday, October 23, has affected several parts of England and Wales.
The Met Office has issued wind warnings, while the Environment Agency has warned of expected flooding along parts of the Dorset and South Devon coasts.
According to the National Grid, nearly 18,000 homes and businesses across England and Wales were without electricity as of Friday morning, with more than 70 per cent of the affected properties located in Cornwall.
Cornwall has experienced some of the worst impacts, with fallen trees, damaged roads and widespread power outages reported.
Cornwall Council said its highways teams were responding to about 100 incidents, mostly involving fallen trees and branches, alongside flooding and debris on roads.
The storm has also disrupted education, with 138 schools either closed or opening later than usual across Cornwall and the Channel Islands.
Authorities in Jersey and Guernsey announced that all state schools and colleges would remain closed for the day because of the severe weather.
Air travel has also been affected. Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney airports were temporarily closed, while flights at Exeter Airport were cancelled.
Airport authorities in the Channel Islands said services were expected to resume later on Friday as conditions improved.
Rail passengers have equally faced significant disruption, with several operators reporting cancellations, delays and reduced services. CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, Northern, Transport for Wales and South Western Railway were among those affected by fallen trees and adverse weather conditions.
The Met Office warned that wind gusts could reach 70mph in parts of south-west England, the south coast and Wales.
Gusts of up to 76mph had already been recorded at St Mary’s Airport in the Isles of Scilly, while Jersey reported winds reaching 82mph.
Two flood warnings remain in force along the Dorset Coast at Chiswell and the South Devon Coast, including Beesands, Torcross, Slapton and Dawlish.
The Environment Agency has urged residents in affected locations to move to higher ground, protect their loved ones and valuables, and follow instructions from emergency services.
HM Coastguard has also cautioned members of the public against approaching exposed coastal areas to take photographs or selfies during the storm.
“The cliffs on the coast may seem like a good spot to get the perfect selfie and it may be tempting to venture close to the edge, but a sudden slip or strong gust of wind can have tragic consequences,” it said.
“Stormy conditions can look exciting but all it takes is one wave to drag you out to sea – a dramatic photograph or selfie is not worth risking your life for.”
Meanwhile, the storm has affected other parts of north-west Europe, including France and the Republic of Ireland.
Electricity network operator Enedis said Storm Austen had left 161,000 homes in France without power, with Brittany accounting for the largest share of the outages.
In the Republic of Ireland, around 3,000 homes, farms and businesses were without electricity on Friday morning following strong winds and heavy rainfall.
The UK is also preparing for another storm, named Boelo, expected to bring further wet and windy conditions over the weekend.
The Met Office has issued an amber wind warning covering parts of northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from 9pm on Saturday until 9pm on Sunday.
Meteorologist Bill Deger of AccuWeather warned that the back-to-back storms could worsen the impact on affected communities.
“The concern with two powerful windstorms arriving back-to-back is the potential for compounding impacts,” he said.
“Areas hit by damaging winds and heavy rain from Storm Austen will have little time to recover before Storm Boelo arrives.”
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham also warned that the country could face a challenging winter, with the possibility of increased flooding.
“We potentially are facing a winter of greater flooding, so it’s about recognising all of those risks and taking action,” he said.
The government has been encouraging households to prepare for emergencies by keeping essential supplies at home, as concerns grow over the potential effects of severe weather in the coming months.
