Storm Austen Knocks Out Power, Collapses Pier Ahead of Boelo — SkimNews
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Storm Austen brought gusts up to 84mph to Jersey, knocking out power for more than 15,000 homes and forcing school closures across the Channel Islands and Cornwall.
- National Grid restored electricity to over 60,000 properties since the storm began, as engineers responded to widespread outages in southern England and Wales.
- A section of Brighton’s West Pier collapsed into the sea under the force of large waves, shocking onlookers and residents who described the storm as unusually intense.
- Met Office issued an amber wind warning for Scotland, northern England, and Northern Ireland ahead of Storm Boelo, forecasting gusts of 60-80mph and heavy rain.
- Ferry services between the UK and France were cancelled due to severe weather, contributing to expected fresh food shortages on the Channel Islands.
- Jersey Airport suspended flights until at least 17:00, while Exeter and Cornwall Airport Newquay reported multiple cancellations and urged passengers to check with airlines.
Why it matters: More than 15,000 households face extended outages and disrupted services just as a second storm approaches, compounding risks to infrastructure and supply chains already strained by back-to-back extreme weather. The rapid succession of storms tests emergency response capacity and highlights vulnerabilities in coastal and transport infrastructure.
Ask SkimNews
