Storm Austen Collapses Brighton's West Pier as 15,000 Homes Lose Power
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 23
Storm Austen Collapses Brighton's West Pier as 15,000 Homes Lose Power
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 23
Summary
More than 15,000 homes were still without power on Friday after Storm Austen tore across southern England and Wales, while National Grid said service had already been restored to over 60,000 properties.
84mph gusts in Jersey and heavy seas helped bring down part of Brighton's 1866 West Pier, with fallen trees, slower rail services and ferry cancellations disrupting travel across the south.
Jersey and Guernsey shut all schools, some Cornwall schools opened late or closed, and families were evacuated from a holiday park in Perranporth before the worst conditions hit.
Storm Boelo is due on Saturday with amber wind warnings across parts of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, where 60-70mph gusts and further heavy rain could trigger more outages and flooding.