Storm Austen: Brits face 19 flood alerts as 80mm of rain to batter country tonight - see full list

Storm Austen: Brits face 19 flood alerts as 80mm of rain to batter country tonight - see full list With Storm Austen sweeping in within hours, the threat of floods is growing as the the Environment Agency pinpoints the areas most at risk in the next 48 hours Brits are not only readying themselves for intense winds and heavy rain as Storm Austen sweeps in — but the prospect of flooding too. Already, people in 19 areas have been told to be prepared with flood alerts issued on Thursday. The warnings come with the storm set to make landfall in the early hours, with the Met Office urging people living in some parts of the UK to consider preparing an “emergency” kit ahead of its arrival. The far Southwest of England could see wind speeds reaching as high as 90mph, while coastal areas covered by yellow warnings may see gusts of 70mph. Heavy rain is expected to be a major hazard too. As well as sounding a caution for rain and wind, flooding is feared in the next 48 hours. The Environment Agency has particular concern for the South Devon coast at Beesands, Torcross, Slapton and Dawlish. You can follow the storm on various webcams right here. In England there are eight, with the Met Office warning of road, rail, air and ferry services being affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. Power cuts may occur, they say, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. There are almost a dozen alerts in Scotland, with Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh among the cities covered in the alert. Up to 80mm of rain is expected to hit - the equivalent of one month-worth of rainfall for the capital. Elsewhere, an Amber Wind Warning covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Plymouth, and parts of west Devon from 1:00am to 10:00am on Friday. Yellow Wind and Rain Warnings are valid for swathes of southern England, south Wales, the English Channel coast, and parts of Scotland. A rare Red Warning has been issued the Channel Islands, with schools closed there on Friday. The relentless low-pressure system is heading to UK shores later tonight with Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, is expected to affect south-west England in the early hours of Friday. The Met Office urges people living under the yellow rain warning to consider preparing a “flood plan and an emergency flood kit”. It has published advice regarding what to include in an emergency kit. 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 60-70 mph for a time, and these strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain. People in affected areas should keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings as the event develops." But that's not it - over the weekend, Storm Boelo will affect Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England with what the Met Office described as "impactful winds". Where flood alerts are issued England - South Devon coast at Beesands, Torcross, Slapton and Dawlish - South Devon coast from Start Point to Dawlish Warren - West coast of Dorset - East coast of Dorset - Christchurch Harbour - River Churnet and River Tean - Lower River Soar in Leicestershire - River Stour and Smestow Brook Scotland - Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City - Ayrshire and Arran - Central - Dumfries and Galloway - Dundee and Angus - Edinburgh and Lothians - Fife - Findhorn, Nairn, Moray and Speyside - Scottish Borders - Tayside - West Central Scotland [Image text:] Flood ROAD CLOSED