Britain to be battered by TWO storms in 24 hours: Met Office issues warnings for Storm Austen and Storm Boelo with 80mph gales and heavy rain hitting from tonight

Britain will be battered by two named storms in just 24 hours as the country faces damaging winds and travel disruption from Storm Austen followed by Storm Boelo. Forecasters issued an amber wind warning for the far South West ahead of Austen's arrival around midnight, as well as yellow warnings for much of the rest of England. The amber warning is in place from 1am to 10am tomorrow for Devon and Cornwall, where gusts of 60 to 70mph will develop with some exposed areas expecting 80mph. Power cuts may affect homes, while some buildings may be damaged and a 'danger to life' is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads. A yellow warning for wind is in place for a wider region of the South West as well as South Wales and along England's South Coast between midnight and 5pm tomorrow. Strong winds are expected to spread across southern England tonight and tomorrow, with gusts of 50 to 60mph likely and some exposed areas seeing 70mph or above. Another yellow wind warning has been issued for the South East including London, as well as the Midlands and parts of the North West, from 10am to 9pm tomorrow. A yellow warning for rain was also imposed in central and eastern Scotland from 6am tomorrow until midnight, where accumulations of 20 to 40mm are expected widely. Storm Austen will hit the UK from midnight tonight, with warnings in place until 9pm tomorrow Met Office warnings for Storm Boelo begin at 6pm tomorrow and will run until 9pm on Sunday Pedestrians on London Bridge caught in a heavy rain shower yesterday ahead of Storm Austen Up to 60mm to 80mm is also possible in some locations, bringing flooding and travel disruption – with a chance some communities 'will become cut off by flooded roads'. Yellow warnings for wind were also issued for Boelo – with northern England and Scotland facing gusts of up to 80mph from 6pm on Saturday until 9pm on Sunday. A separate yellow wind warning was issued for Northern Ireland from 6pm on Saturday until 3pm on Sunday, with 50 to 60mph gusts widely and up to 75mph. Meteorologists tracking Austen and Boelo in the Atlantic confirmed both low pressure systems are undergoing explosive cyclogenesis, known as a 'weather bomb'. A weather bomb is officially declared when the central atmospheric pressure of a low pressure system rapidly falls by at least 24 millibars within a 24-hour period. Met Office senior operational meteorologist Marco Petagna said Austen's pressure will fall by 24mb in just 18 hours, from 1,004 mb to 980mb – and therefore within the threshold. Boelo will deepen from 999mb to 948mb in 24 hours – a drop of 51mb. The Met Office said the deep area of low pressure for Boelo will be 'invigorated by an active jet stream' as it crosses the Atlantic before reaching Northern Ireland. Heavy rain will move in from the west through Saturday, spreading widely across the UK through the day – while wind strength will also continue to build through the day. Boelo [pronounced Boo-loh] is a separate low pressure system to Austen which will bring severe weather tonight. Austen will clear into the North Sea by Friday evening. The amber warning for wind is in place from 1am to 10am tomorrow for Devon and Cornwall A yellow warning for wind is in place for a wider region between midnight and 5pm tomorrow Another yellow wind warning has been issued for the South East from 10am to 9pm tomorrow A yellow rain warning has been issued in Scotland from 6am tomorrow until 3am on Saturday Met Office deputy chief forecaster Chris Bulmer said: 'Storm Austen is expected to bring a spell of impactful weather to parts of the UK from Thursday night and through Friday. 'While there remains some uncertainty in the exact track of the storm, there is increasing confidence in the potential for disruptive winds across parts of southwest England, which is why an amber warning has been issued. 'Winds gusts could potentially reach 60 to 70 mph for a time, and these strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain. While these winds will not be as strong as those further south and west, a spell of inland gales is possible with gusts around 45 to 55mph during the day tomorrow. 'People in affected areas should keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings as the event develops.' The strong winds from Austen will lead to large waves and dangerous conditions around the coast of Wales and South-west England. Speaking about Boelo, Mr Bulmer added: 'Storm Boelo will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England over the weekend, impacting the opposite end of the country to Storm Austen. 'Gusts of 70 to 80mph in exposed coastal areas and high ground are possible, with 50-60mph gusts more widely. 'The strong winds will be accompanied by heavy rain, making for an impactful weekend of weather. Severe weather warnings and forecast detail will continue to develop, so people should keep up to date with the forecast over the next few days.' People were advised by the Met Office to stay away from cliff edges and well back from stormy seas that could 'sweep you off your feet'. Homeowners were told to take steps to protect their property from damage and other people from injury, such as checking for loose items outside and planning how to secure them in high winds. These items include bins, plant pots, garden furniture, trampolines and sheds. Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: 'We've updated amber and yellow severe weather warnings for Storm Austen. 'This is the first stormy weather in the South of the UK this season and we expect some disruption as it moves through. The Met Office has said Austen, Boelo and Chloe will be the first named storms of the season 'With trees in leaf, it is likely fallen branches and trees could obstruct roads and railways so take extra care on the Friday morning commute.' Before the arrival of the storms, today will be a broadly dry and bright day across the UK – although there will be some blustery conditions in eastern Scotland. Ross Macleod, the RNLI's water safety manager, has asked people not to take 'unnecessary risks' when visiting the coast. He said: 'If you plan to visit the coast or a waterside location, we urge you stay a safe distance from the water as conditions could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea.' The Met Office storm year runs from September to August, with each 12-month period having its own alphabetical list of names that are used to label successive storms. This year's list begins with Austen and continues with Boelo, Chloe, Dano and Evelyn, ending at W with Wende. Storm naming is a partnership between the Met Office, Ireland's Met Éireann and the Dutch service KNMI. Met Éireann selected the name for the first storm in honour of Austen Nagle, the Irish Meteorological Service's first director. KNMI picked names from more than 3,000 suggestions submitted by the public, including Boelo – a nearly extinct name from the east Groningen region that has been passed down through the nominator's family for generations.