Thousands without power in southwest England after Storm "Austin" as north faces new warning
Storm "Austin" cut electricity to thousands in southwest England as the Met Office warns of further severe weather for northern Britain.
Thousands of households were left without electricity in southwest England after Storm "Austin" struck the region, while northern parts of the United Kingdom were preparing for a further spell of severe weather.
Forecasters said strong winds and heavy rain are expected to affect northern areas, with gusts of up to 128 km/h. An orange weather warning from the Met Office covers Scotland, northern England as far south as Carlisle, and the north‑east of Northern Ireland from 21:00 today and into tomorrow.
Transport disruption and safety advice issued
Meteorologists warned that this second storm of the season could pose a danger to people and advised that, where possible, people should avoid going outside during adverse conditions. Authorities also signalled possible major disruption to transport, including ferry and rail services.
According to the National Grid's outage map, more than 3,700 households in the area remained without power. The energy company said crews had restored electricity to more than 60,000 households since the storm began.
Winds were expected to reach their peak strength this evening. Overnight rainfall is likely to ease across many areas but will continue in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with up to 100 mm of rain possible in higher parts of Scotland.
Photo: Evelyn Simak / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
