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Image caption, <\/p>\nThousands lose power and part of Brighton’s West Pier collapses as Storm Austen whips UKpublished at 16:17 BST<\/p>\n
16:17 BST<\/p>\n
Image caption, <\/p>\n
A yellow warning for rain is in place in parts of Scotland, while yellow wind warnings stay in place in south-east England and parts of Wales until 17:00, and in south and east England and northern Wales until 21:00<\/p>\n
Storm Austen is causing widespread disruption in parts of the UK, leaving thousands of homes without power and travel plans disrupted.<\/p>\n
In Brighton, part of the iconic West Pier – an abandoned structure that first opened in 1866 – has collapsed. Stephen Royle, who lives opposite, says the waves rolling in were “enormous” <\/a>and he is “shocked” by how much of the pier ended up in the sea.<\/p>\n National Grid says almost 18,000 properties have been affected by power cuts today, including 13,000 in Cornwall.<\/p>\n Hannah Dawson-Turk says she and her family had to be evacuated from a holiday park in Perranporth, Cornwall, yesterday afternoon due to the weather, adding “the night before last, it sounded like our caravan was going to be ripped apart”.<\/p>\n Earlier today, a wind speed of 84mph was recorded at Jersey Airport, causing trees and other debris to fall and block roads, the infrastructure department said<\/a>.<\/p>\n National Rail has advised that many routes are travelling at slower speeds, with delays and cancellations possible, while ferry operators Stena Line and Wightlink have cancelled services – more travel advice here<\/a>. <\/p>\n As we move into Saturday, Storm Boelo – which is travelling higher up in the northern parts of the country – is forecast to bring more strong winds and heavy rain in parts. <\/p>\n