LONDON (AP) — High winds knocked out power to thousands of people in southwest England on Friday morning as the first of two major storms expected to hit the U.K. this weekend swept in from the Atlantic.
The U.K. Met Office issued an amber warning for wind gusts up to 80 mph (130 kph) in Cornwall and Devon as Storm Austen moved into the area early Friday. Winds up to 60 mph (100 kph) are forecast across southern and central England throughout the day as the storm
moves eastward along the English Channel coast.
With heavy rain forecast in some areas and the likelihood that high winds will topple trees that are still in full leaf, the Met Office warned of further power outages and travel disruptions.
Weather forecasters in Jersey issued a red warning for shipping around the Channel Islands, with wind gusts of up to 80 mph expected in the area.
A second major storm is expected to bring more wind and heavy rains to northern parts of the U.K. later in the weekend.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England on Saturday night and throughout Sunday as Storm Boelo sweeps through the area.
With winds gusting up to 65 mph (105 kph), forecasters are warning of further power cuts, transportation delays and the risk of building damage and flying debris.
The Met Office began naming major storms in 2015 as a way to keep the public informed about severe weather. Storms are named in alphabetical order throughout the season, which runs from September to the following August.
