The yellow wind warning for Swansea and south Wales now runs until 2pm on Friday, two hours longer than first planned. The Met Office has also raised the chance of significant disruption from low to medium.
Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly have been moved up to an amber warning for the Friday morning, with gusts of 60 to 70mph widely and around 80mph on exposed headlands.
For Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire the forecast is for gusts of 50 to 60mph, with 70mph or more possible on exposed coasts, from midnight on Friday.
That is the same wind speed the Met Office gave when it first warned about Storm Austen on Tuesday. What has changed is how likely it thinks the worst of it is, and how long it will last.
Midnight to 2pm on Friday: what the updated yellow warning says for south Wales
The updated warning covers 16 Welsh council areas, as before, and now rates the likelihood of significant impacts as medium, between 25 and 50 per cent. On Tuesday it was low, at 10 to 25 per cent.
Road, rail, air and ferry journeys are likely to be disrupted, the Met Office says, with some road and bridge closures, possible power cuts that could affect mobile signal, and roof tiles at risk. Winds will “slowly ease during Friday afternoon”.
On the coast there is a chance of large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.
‘Increasing confidence’ in disruptive winds, says the Met Office, as Cornwall and Devon go amber
The amber warning runs from 3am to 10am on Friday across Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and the Isles of Scilly, where the Met Office rates the chance of significant disruption as high and says damage to buildings is probable.
Chris Bulmer, the Met Office’s deputy chief forecaster, said: “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.”
The storm is expected to cross southern Britain late on Thursday and through Friday morning, with winds easing through Friday afternoon and evening.
RNLI: stay back from the water, and ‘float to live’ if you fall in
The RNLI is asking people to keep away from the water’s edge on Friday. Ross Macleod, its water safety manager, said: “Storm Austen is set to bring potentially dangerous conditions so we’re asking the public to stay vigilant and not take unnecessary risks.”
“If you plan to visit the coast or a waterside location, we urge you stay a safe distance from the water as conditions could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea.”
Anyone who ends up in the water should “float to live”, he said: lie back with your ears in the water, extend your arms and legs, and get your breathing under control before calling for help or swimming to safety.
“If you see someone else in danger, do not enter the water yourself as you could also end up in serious difficulty. Instead, remember phone, float, throw: phone 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard; tell the struggling person to float; throw them something buoyant, like a life ring.”
More wind on the way: another low pressure system follows Austen at the weekend
The weekend will stay unsettled, the Met Office says, with another area of low pressure likely to bring strong winds to northern parts of the UK on Saturday and Sunday and the potential for further warnings. A yellow rain warning is already in place for southern and eastern Scotland on Friday.
The advice for Friday is unchanged: tie down or bring in anything loose outside, check bus and train times before setting off, keep a torch and a charged power pack to hand, and keep dogs on leads near cliffs and sea fronts.
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