Storm Austen Leaves Thousands of Homes Without Power in South-West England, Schools Closed

The first named storm of the year, Storm Austen, has left thousands of homes without power in south-west England and forced many schools across Cornwall to close or open late. The storm struck on Friday morning, causing widespread disruption.

A gust of 76mph was recorded at St Mary's Airport on the Isles of Scilly on Friday morning. Just before 11am, National Grid said more than 16,000 homes in the south-west were without power.

Dozens of schools across Cornwall were forced to open late, while others did not open at all. Normal school activities were disrupted by the severe conditions.

National Grid said its engineers had restored power to more than 12,000 properties affected by Storm Austen by 8am on Friday. Work continued to reconnect the remaining areas.

The Met Office had issued an amber wind warning on Wednesday covering Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly, which took effect from 1am until 10am on Friday. The storm made landfall during that warning period.

Meanwhile, a second named storm, Boelo, is already heading in. The Met Office has issued a further 24-hour amber warning for wind from 9pm on Saturday, covering Scotland, the north coast of Northern Ireland, and Cumbria and Northumberland in northern England.

Forecasters said Storm Boelo could bring gusts of up to 80mph in exposed coastal areas, with winds of 60 to 70mph widespread elsewhere. The warning also noted a danger to life from flying debris.

The Met Office said there was also a 'good chance' of power cuts, damage to buildings, trees being uprooted and rail and flight cancellations. Weekend travel plans could therefore face disruption.

Ireland's weather agency, Met Eireann, also issued six warnings of varying severity for Saturday, mostly affecting counties along the west coast.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned: 'We potentially are facing a winter of greater flooding, so it's about recognising all of those risks and taking action.' He spoke at a summit organised to learn from the summer's record wildfires.

Asked whether the government was playing catch-up, as a campaign urging people to stock food and essentials for multi-day emergencies made headlines, Burnham said the government was having a conversation about being better prepared because unexpected events are becoming more common. He expressed sympathy for people without power in Cornwall.

Altogether, the UK faces two named storms in a single weekend. With the Boelo warning issued before the damage from Austen has been fully cleared, coastal residents have been advised to remain especially cautious.