Weather forecast as Storm Austen batters UK before Boelo brings 80mph winds - latest

Weather forecast as Storm Austen batters UK before Boelo brings 80mph winds - latest The Met Office has issued a 'danger to life' warning with the Environment Agency issuing urgent flood warnings for parts of Dorset and Devon Storm Austen has made landfall causing major travel disruption with trains cancelled or delayed and terrible conditions on the roads as 66 schools have closed for the day. Two flood warnings are in place, meaning flooding is expected, on parts of the Dorset Coast and South Devon Coast. The Environment Agency says this means people in those areas should "move to higher ground". A yellow wind warning covering south-west England, the south coast, parts of Wales and Herefordshire started at 10pm Thursday and runs until 5pm today (Friday). Gusts of 50 to 60mph are likely, with 70mph or more possible in some coastal and exposed areas. Even more severe weather has hit parts of the South West, with an amber alert covering Cornwall, Devon, the Isles of Scilly and Plymouth from until 10am. Winds of 60 to 70mph are expected widely there, with gusts of around 80mph possible on exposed headlands. The Met Office has warned people flying debris could lead to injuries and poses a "danger to life". A second yellow warning then comes into force from 10am until 9pm today, covering a much wider area across England and Wales, including London, the Midlands, the North West and parts of Yorkshire. Gusts of around 45 to 55mph are possible. The 66 schools that have announced they will close are mostly in Cornwall where the stormy conditions are expected to be at their worst. Key Events Severe disruption expected on rail services National Rail has warned that Storms Austen will cause "severe disruption" on various routes across England, Scotland and Wales today and this weekend. While there are no weather warnings in place for Monday, some disruption is also possible then. Passengers can expect weather-related disruption on the following services today: CrossCountry services in south-west England are disrupted until at least the end of tomorrow No CrossCountry services will operate between Plymouth and Penzance today. There may be further changes to services between Bristol, Plymouth and Penzance today and tomorrow depending on the impact of Storm Austen. Great Western Railway services in south west England are disrupted today and tomorrow Speed restrictions will be imposed on routes in Devon and Cornwall between the start of service and 1pm. As a result Great Western Railway will be operating fewer trains than normal. Northern services are disrupted until Monday A number of lines of route will be amended throughout the day. Check the website for further information. Transport for Wales services are disrupted until Sunday A number of services will be reduced. Check the website for further information. Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services are disrupted today Several incidents of trees blocking railway lines have been reported, blocking some routes. Check the website for further information. South Western Railway services are disrupted today Several incidents of trees blocking railway lines have been reported, blocking some routes. Check the website for further information. Flood warnings in place Two flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, are in place in the UK. They are for the Dorset Coast at Chiswell and the South Devon Coast at Beesands, Torcross, DSlapton and Dawlish. Eight flood alerts – meaning flooding is possible – are in place across England. Train lines already majorly disrupted Several train lines are already impacted by the storm. Trees appear to have fallen on railway lines across the country, with services facing delays and cancellations. There is disruption between Branksome and Bournemouth. All lines are blocked due to a tree on the railway between Uckfield and Crowborough. Services between Clandon and Effingham Junction are also impacted due to another fallen tree. Brits warned to avoid damaged power lines The storm is likely to cause fallen trees and broken branches. UK Power Networks have issued a warning to avoid any overhead power lines and report them. Schools closed as 'danger to life' warning in force Schools in England are planning to close or open late today as Storm Austen has triggered a "danger to life" warning. The weather conditions have caused several schools to close or open late today as a result of the stormy conditions. The majority of schools facing closures are in Cornwall where the weather conditions are expected to be the worse. Tree blocks railway A fallen tree is blocking a railway line near London this morning. Trains running to / from London Waterloo and Guildford via Cobham, and London Waterloo and Guildford via Epsom may be delayed, revised or cancelled at short notice. Disruption is expected until 7am. 'Little time to recover' between storms Storm Austen will hit parts of the UK today, closely followed by Storm Boelo on Saturday. AccuWeather expert meteorologist Bill Deger warned: “The concern with two powerful windstorms arriving back-to-back is the potential for compounding impacts. “Areas hit by damaging winds and heavy rain from Storm Austen will have little time to recover before Storm Boelo arrives.” Heavy rain hits midlands Heavy rain has reportedly already hit in the midlands as the UK expects chaos to strike today with several weather warnings in place. Storms highlight 'doomloop of extreme weather' Greenpeace climate campaigner Maja Darlington has called on the Government to act to stop a “doomloop of extreme weather”, after a summer of wildfires and drought. She said: “We’ve barely cooled off from a summer of blistering heat, and now the first winter storms are battering at the front door. “While millions of people face the prospect of ruined homes and businesses, oil giants are preparing to announce multi-billion-pound profits next week.” “The Government must take a stand against this doomloop of extreme weather and corporate impunity,” Ms Darlington added. Rescue operation carried out for sinking yacht RNLI launched a rescue operation to save a sailor who was struggling in strong winds. The sailors yacht had run aground on Scarweather Sands and was flooding. Drivers begin to face 'horrendous conditions' Drivers have started to face 'horrendous conditions' in the South West as the county is set to be battered by strong winds and torrential rains. The Met Office said Storm Austen is “likely to bring some disruption and possible damaging winds” and warned of disruption on the roads and public transport networks. Drivers have been urged to take care when travelling in stormy conditions, with the forecaster warning "if it’s time for your wipers, it’s time to slow down". Brits urged to check in on vulnerable people through storm Garth Smith, head of resilience at the British Red Cross, has encouraged the public to take steps to protect themselves, their families and their homes. He said: “We have practical advice that can make a real difference – from checking in with people who may be more vulnerable, securing loose items in your garden to checking windows and doors, and making an evacuation plan for your household, including pets. “We also urge people to keep an eye on local weather reports and guidance from local authorities.” How many weather warnings are in place? The first yellow warning, which comes into force at midnight and remains in place until 5pm tomorrow, covers mainly Wales and south-west England. The second yellow warning, which runs from 10am to 9pm tomorrow, covers a wider area of England. An amber warning covering south-west England is in place from 1am to 10am tomorrow. Gusts of 60 to 70mph are likely, potentially reaching 80mph over exposed headlands. Railway implements speed restriction due to storm ScotRail has implemeted speed restrictions for Friday due to the Met Office weather warning for heavy rain. The rail provider said it "has implemented speed restrictions across parts of the railway, meaning a revised timetable will be in place across some routes tomorrow. " These restrictions are being introduced to allow trains to operate safely during the forecast weather conditions." Danger of life warning in South West According to the Met Office there is a risk of "injuries and danger to life... from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties" in the South West, where an amber warning will be in place. The impacted areas include: - Cornwall - Devon - Isles of Scilly - Plymouth Satellite image shows storm building Satellite imagery shows the storm building as winds are due to pick up overnight. What do the next few days look like? Windy. Tonight’s weather warning is just the start, there are yellow and amber alerts in place on each remaining day of this week. Thursday A yellow warning for wind beginning at 10pm and lasting until 5pm on Friday covers the South West and the southern coast of England along with parts of Wales. Friday On Friday the previous weather warning is joined by two others, a second yellow warning for wind starting at 10am and running until 9pm and covering the rest of Wales and a swathe of England from Blackpool to Norwich. Meanwhile a more serious amber alert for wind runs from 1am to 10am and covers the south western tip of the UK as far inland as Plymouth on the south coast and Ilfracombe on the north. Saturday On Saturday the warnings move northwards with a yellow warning for wind covering Northern Ireland from 6pm until 3pm on Sunday while a second warning covers Scotland and northern England from 3pm until 9pm on Sunday. Sunday The two warnings for wind for Northern Ireland and Scotland and northern England continue into today, until 3pm and 9pm respectively. How to stay safe tonight The Met Office has published the following guidance for people caught in the path of tonight's extreme weather. "Prepare to protect your property and people from injury," the warning states. Prople are urged to check for loose items outside homes and secure them. Items that might need looking at include: bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences. Getting ready for power cuts ahead of time is also being advised by the forcaster. "Consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items," the Met Office said. "If you are on the coast, stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves. Even from the shore large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea. Take care if walking near cliffs; know your route and keep dogs on a lead. In an emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard." What should you expect? The Met Office has said the following impacts can be expected from the winds battering the UK tonight and tomorrow. - Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. - Some roads and bridges may close. - Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. - Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen. - Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible. - Injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties. 'Disruption to travel is likely' - Met Office Brits have been warned that the strong winds forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning could cause travel disruptions. The current yellow warning says road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. People are advised to check road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. First warning comes into force A Met Office yellow weather warning for wind came into force at 10pm tonight, the first of a string of weather warnings set to last until Sunday. This first warning will see "strong west to northwesterly winds will spread across southern parts of England and Wales during Thursday night and into Friday,” the Met Office said. “Gusts of 50-60 mph are likely and some coastal or exposed areas could see 70 mph or more, this more likely over parts of southwest England. “Ahead of this, a spell of southerly winds with gusts of 50-60 mph will move east along the south coast of England during Thursday night. Winds will slowly ease during Friday afternoon.” Storm Austen warning covers 41 areas as 70mph gusts possible A yellow wind warning for Storm Austen covers 41 local authority areas across southern England, Wales and Herefordshire. The Met Office says gusts of 50-60mph are likely, with some coastal and exposed areas potentially seeing 70mph or more. Travel disruption, power cuts and damage to buildings are possible, while flying debris and large waves could also pose a danger.