Storm Austen knocks out power as Boelo warning looms

Storm Austen left tens of thousands of homes without electricity in southern Britain on Friday, disrupted transport and damaged coastal infrastructure, as forecasters warned that Storm Boelo could bring further severe winds this weekend. National Grid outage information showed more than 31,000 homes without power by mid-afternoon Friday. The figure was a snapshot of homes still affected at that time. National Grid separately reported that more than 52,000 properties had been restored since Austen began. Earlier, the company said engineers had restored power to more than 12,000 properties by 8am. These figures refer to different times and measures. The storm brought gusts of 76mph at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly Friday morning, according to reports. Strong winds and fallen trees disrupted roads and railways, while flights were cancelled or delayed in parts of south-west England and the Channel Islands. Schools in Cornwall and the islands closed or opened late. Some ferry services between the UK and France were also cancelled. In Brighton, a section of the West Pier fell into the sea during the storm. The structure, which opened in 1866 and closed to the public in...