Storm Austen batters Wales and southern England as Storm Boelo follows within hours

Storm Austen brought gusts of up to 70mph to the west coast of Wales on Friday, cancelling trains and leaving hundreds of homes without power in areas including Milford Haven and Usk, Monmouthshire, according to WalesOnline [1]. The Met Office issued two yellow wind warnings covering south Wales and parts of mid Wales, the first coming into force at 10pm on Thursday and the second from 10am on Friday, the outlet reported [1]. Fallen trees blocked roads and railway lines across Wales, with the M4 slip road closed and trains from Cardiff Central cancelled after a tree blocked the line, WalesOnline said [1]. The Severn Bridge was also closed amid the strong winds, and more than 2,000 homes were reported without power in Wales during the course of the day [1]. Marathon Eryri, billed as the UK's toughest marathon, was cancelled on Friday evening after organisers said a course assessment found conditions unsafe, citing wind gusts, tree debris and flooding across the route in Llanberis, according to WalesOnline [1]. Organisers said they intended to defer all runners' places to next year [1]. Further south, more than 15,000 homes were left without power as Storm Austen moved through southern England and Wales, the BBC reported [2]. Gusts reached 84mph in Jersey, while in Brighton a section of the historic West Pier, which closed to the public in 1975, collapsed into the sea as it was battered by large waves, the BBC said [2]. Resident Stephen Royle told the BBC the waves were "enormous" [2]. Families were evacuated from a holiday park in Perranporth, Cornwall, ahead of the worst of the storm on Thursday afternoon, with evacuee Hannah Dawson-Turk telling the BBC "the night before last, it sounded like our caravan was going to be ripped apart" [2]. Schools on Jersey and Guernsey closed for the day, as did some schools in Cornwall, according to the BBC [2]. The National Grid said engineers had restored power to more than 60,000 properties since the storm began, the broadcaster reported [2]. Travel disruption extended to air and sea routes. Some Channel ferry services were cancelled, Jersey Airport said flights would not run until at least 5pm, and Exeter Airport showed multiple cancellations, according to the BBC [2]. National Rail advised that many routes were running at slower speeds, with further disruption expected over the weekend [2]. Storm Boelo is forecast to bring additional strong winds and heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday, with the Met Office issuing an amber warning covering much of Scotland, the far north of Northern Ireland and northern England, the BBC reported [2]. Gusts of 60-70mph are expected, with exposed coastal areas potentially seeing up to 80mph, while yellow warnings also cover Orkney, the rest of Northern Ireland and northern England with gusts of 55-75mph forecast [2]. Storm Boelo is not expected to affect Wales directly, though the country will still see wet and windy weather on Saturday, WalesOnline said [1]. The Co-op's boss on the Channel Islands warned of fresh food shortages in the coming days due to the lack of ferry services, while Jersey Met's Paul Aked said gusts in Guernsey reached 76mph, equivalent to a severe gale, force nine, according to the BBC [2]. Mark Cox, the Co-op boss, said: "It's rare we get this level of disruption to storms backing up so quickly and probably a little bit more heavier than what we've had to deal with in the past" [2]. The Met Office has advised people to drive cautiously in strong winds, secure loose outdoor items and take extra care in coastal areas during the storms, the BBC reported [2].