Storm Austen: Brighton’s West Pier partially collapses as 110mph winds batter UK – with Storm Boela on way

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Thousands of homes have been left without power and schools closed as Storm Austen battered the UK on Friday with wind speeds of up to 110mph. Part of Brighton’s West Pier fell into the sea on Friday (23 October) as huge sea waves crashed into the iconic landmark following powerful winds. In footage obtained by the BBC , one side of the pier is seen collapsing into the water as it is overcome by large waves. A strong gale of 111mph was recorded in Padstow, Cornwall on Friday morning, while 97mph was recorded in St Ives by a National Coastguard station. But there is little respite in sight, with Storm Boela forecast to sweep across the UK this weekend, bringing further powerful gusts and torrential downpours. open image in gallery Parts of Brighton pier collapsed on Friday during the stormy weather ( Reuters ) A yellow weather warning for rain is in place on Friday until midnight. The warning area including much of Scotland , from as far south as the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway to Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire. Thousands remain without power in Cornwall , with National Grid reporting that over 9,000 households have no electricity. Schools in Guernsey have closed as a safety measure, while ferries to the Isles of Scilly have been suspended. Exeter Airport has cancelled flights and there are a number of traffic delays near Redruth and Truro, with a number of trees reported to have fallen. open image in gallery Strong winds thrashed the UK on Friday ( AFP/Getty ) Gusts of 76mph were recorded at St Mary’s airport in the Isles of Scilly, 74mph recorded in Aberporth, south Wales, and 71mph at Culdrose in Cornwall. Storm Boela is set to thrash the UK this weekend as another deep area of low pressure moves in from the Atlantic. The storm will be felt across the UK, with the most severe conditions in the north, the Met Office said. On Saturday, the Met Office has issued amber “danger to life” warnings for Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England as widespread gusts up to 70mph are forecast, rising to 80mph in coastal locations. Wider yellow warnings stretch further south into England and cover the whole of Northern Ireland until Sunday evening. open image in gallery Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse and the breakwater in Newhaven ( AFP/Getty ) Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Mark Sidaway, said: “Saturday morning will start dry and bright in the east of the UK, however further west rain and increasingly windy conditions will already be set in as people wake up for the day. This stormy weather will continue to move eastwards bringing rain and windy conditions to all of the UK. “There are a number of severe weather warnings issued for Storm Boelo, including an amber warning for all of mainland Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the very far north of England. Gusts could reach up to 80mph in places. More widely gusts will still reach 50-60mph and spells of heavy rain could also lead to some impacts. “People should prepare by securing loose items outside their property, being ready in case of power outages and being aware of likely travel disruption.” open image in gallery Storm Boela will bring more downpours and strong winds on Saturday ( AFP/Getty ) open image in gallery Heavy rains soaked Britons as Storm Austen hit the UK ( PA ) Network Rail Scotland said that services south and west of Kilwinning in North Ayrshire will stop from 9pm on Saturday while further north the Oban and Mallaig lines will close from around 10pm. On Sunday, the line between Kyle of Lochalsh and Achnashellach in the Highlands will be closed from the start of service, as well as the railway between Wick and Helmsdale. Trains will also run at reduced speeds across large parts of Scotland as the storm moves through, with speed restrictions starting late on Saturday evening and continuing into the following day. Speed restrictions will remain in place until the winds ease and lines will remain shut until they can be inspected and are deemed safe to reopen. Scottish ministers have activated the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGORR) to prepare for Storm Boelo.Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville chaired an SGORR meeting on Friday and said it will continue to “monitor the situation closely over the weekend and provide regular updates to the public.” The City of Edinburgh Council said it will be closing Princes Street Gardens, Lauriston Castle Grounds, and Saughton Winter Gardens on Saturday evening because of the forecast and will reopen them on Monday once it is safe to do so. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) urged the public to “stay vigilant” and not to take unnecessary risks by visiting coastal locations.