Met Office issues amber warning as Storm Austen nears south-west England

The Met Office issued an amber weather warning for Storm Austen, covering Cornwall, west Devon, Plymouth and the Isles of Scilly from 3am to 10am on Friday, as the season's first named storm approaches the UK. Forecasters expect wind gusts of 60 to 70mph widely, with the most exposed headlands potentially facing gusts near 80mph.

The forecaster said the strong winds raise the chance of injuries from debris thrown about by the gusts, along with a risk of power cuts that could disrupt mobile phone networks. Large waves and material washed up from beaches could also endanger people along coastal roads, promenades and nearby properties, the warning said.

A wider yellow warning for wind covers large parts of southern England and south Wales, including 35 areas across Wales, from late Thursday until 2pm on Friday, with gusts of 50 to 60mph likely and up to 70mph in exposed spots. Separately, a yellow warning for heavy rain covers southern and eastern Scotland, with 20 to 40mm of rain expected and up to 80mm in places, raising the risk of flooding.

National Rail told passengers to expect disruption, saying trains may need to run at reduced speeds and that fallen trees or debris could block tracks or damage power lines. Road, rail, air and ferry services across the warning areas could all see delays or cancellations, forecasters said.

Storm Austen's exact path was still being worked out, Met Office deputy chief forecaster Tom Crabtree said, but a spell of disruptive weather was on the way regardless. The storm is expected to move from west to east through Friday, with winds easing later in the day, though forecasters said a further, as yet unnamed area of low pressure could bring more gales, particularly to northern parts of the UK, over the weekend.