Devon and Cornwall battens down the hatches before Storm Austen

Extra safety measures have been set up by people and businesses as they prepare for the UK's first named storm of the season.

Storm Austen is forecast to bring gusts of up to 80mph (130km/h) and heavy rain across parts of Cornwall and Devon from Thursday night, according to the Met Office.

The conditions, which are also set to affect parts of Wales, England's south coast, Wiltshire and Somerset, have led to weather warnings being issued for Friday.

Bosses at The Watering Hole bar on Perranporth Beach in Cornwall said they were taking extra precautions after the venue suffered damage during Storm Goretti in January.

Jamie-Lee Job said the bar lost several glass panels during that storm as the wind physically lifted them up and sent them crashing through a roof canopy.

Ahead of Storm Austen, staff at the bar have been fixing parts of the building down to make them more secure.

"It was quite scary, we've survived a lot of storms but that particular storm we underestimated how bad it was going to be," Job said.

"It is a reminder to us all to best err on the side of caution.

"So for this one we are doing everything we can do to make sure everything is secure and hopefully the roof stays on for this one."

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind on Friday from 00:00 until 17:00 BST. It covers Devon, Cornwall, south Wales, England's south coast, Wiltshire and Somerset, with "transport disruption likely and possible damaging winds in some areas".

From 01:00 until 10:00 this warning is increased to amber for Cornwall, with power cuts and building damage listed among possible consequences.

A separate yellow warning for wind covering other parts of England and Wales including the Midlands, Essex, Manchester and Anglesey has also been issued from 10:00 to 21:00.

The Met Office is advising people to make preparations to protect their property and other people from injury.

It recommends checking for loose items outside homes and making plans to secure them, including bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds and fences.

Other people in Perranporth said they had stocked up on supplies in case they lost power during Storm Austen.

Chris Eves said: "We've got loads of torches and candles and lots of flasks so we should be OK."

Another woman who was walking along the town's beach said she was preparing to "hunker down".

She added: "I've got lots of candles, we've got a rechargeable radio, rechargeable lights, a gas-fired pizza oven and I am thinking about buying a primus stove as well.

"I am also thinking I won't have anything expensive in my freezer, so if there's a power cut I won't lose too much."

Cornwall Council has issued a warning urging people to prepare before the storm hits and to avoid exposed coastal areas on Thursday evening and Friday.

"Strong winds and large waves could make conditions extremely dangerous," the council said.

The authority added schools across the county could be closed during the storm.

Camborne Rugby Club said it would be closing its club grounds for at least 24 hours from 15:00 on Thursday, while its clubhouse would be shut from about 22:00.

Meanwhile, Newquay Business Improvement District said it had cancelled Saturday's Zombie Crawl parade due to the weather forecast.

In Devon, storm preparation at the Pebbleridge Kitchen near Northern Burrows Country Park is a "well-versed process" after the last winter.

Josie Tennant, operations manager across the Royal George Group, which runs the cafe, said: "We're super exposed here so we make sure all the furniture is against the building so that anything moving around is not moving too far so it can't hurt anyone.

"We also make sure all the shutters are down so the rain is not being driven into the building and then we are looking out for red alerts as well."

She added: "The manager Sam here knows exactly what to do to keep the building safe to keep the staff safe and to keep our customers safe as well."

The RNLI has reminded those along the coast to exercise "extreme caution if visiting the shoreline, especially along exposed cliffs and seafronts".

Appledore RNLI Coxswain Simon McCarthy said his crew was ready to go out "at any time" and was securing its boats with extra lashings while monitoring the storm.

"With the amber warning, it means the all-weather lifeboats are more called upon," McCarthy explained.

"The inshore boats have got their limitations, so we have to make sure we have crew available."

He added: "We really do want people to be sensible. The sea will always win."

Devon County Council said it would have extra staff on hand in its Network Operations Control Centre to monitor conditions and co-ordinate responses to any weather-related incidents.

Councillor Dan Thomas, cabinet member for highways, said: "We're preparing for a spell of unsettled weather and would encourage everyone travelling around Devon to keep an eye on the forecast and plan ahead.

"With many trees still in leaf following the dry weather, there is a risk of fallen trees and branches on our roads."

Great Western Railway said its long-distance services would be running from London Paddington to Plymouth rather than Penzance.

It added local trains would provide a shuttle service between Penzance and Plymouth and some early morning services on Saturday could also be cancelled while its teams assess any damage.

Dartmouth Food Festival has also been impacted by the storm with organisers pushing some events planned for Friday back to Saturday morning.

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