Storm Austen, the season's first named storm, has arrived, bringing gusts as strong as 80mph to parts of Britain, GB News reports. The Met Office has an amber wind warning in force for Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly, signalling a danger to life, and a wider yellow warning for south-west England and Wales until 5pm on Friday.
Jersey's government has closed schools, colleges, sports centres and libraries. Great Western Railway is running fewer trains at lower speeds in Devon and Cornwall, with long-distance services terminating at Plymouth, and some ferry crossings between Pembrokeshire and Ireland have been cancelled.
Chief forecaster Neil Armstrong warned that, with trees still in leaf, falling branches could block roads and railways during the morning commute. A second storm, Boelo, is expected to bring strong winds to Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England over the weekend.
Source: GB News
