Part of famous Brighton pier collapses as Atlantic storms sweep into England

LONDON -- Part of the ruins of one of England's most recognizable piers partially collapsed into the sea on Friday as the first of this weekend's two major storms swept in from the Atlantic, knocking out power to thousands of homes and businesses.

A section of the remnants of the historic West Pier in the popular southern England town of Brighton fell into the sea as it was buffeted by tall waves pushed by a storm the U.K.'s national forecaster has named Austen.

It's the latest diminution of the structure, which was set ablaze in 2003.

“Ever since the two devastating arson attacks in 2003, the West Pier has been whittled away by nature," said Professor Fred Grey, an honorary historian at the West Pier Trust. "All ruins are alive and ever-changing, and this is true of the West Pier.”

The Met Office issued an amber warning — the second highest — for wind gusts of up to 80 mph (130 kph) in Cornwall and Devon as Storm Austen blows eastward along the English Channel coast. And forecasters on Jersey issued a red warning for shipping around the Channel Islands, where gusts of up to 80 mph also were expected.

According to the National Grid electricity distributor, more than 31,000 homes were without power in the southwest by mid-afternoon. Engineers had restored power to more than 52,000 properties since Storm Austen began.

A second major storm — Boelo — is expected to bring more wind and heavy rains this weekend. The Met Office updated its warning for Boelo from yellow to amber for Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England on Saturday night and throughout Sunday.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned citizens to prepare for more weather events could cause flooding this winter.

“We potentially are facing a winter of greater flooding, so it’s about recognizing all of those risks and taking action," he said as he attended a summit organized to learn from the summer’s record wildfires.

The government has launched a campaign urging preparations for an array of hazards, including climate change, technological disruptions and actions by a hostile state. A key recommendation of the “Be Ready” campaign is to stockpile supplies of food and essentials in case of multi-day emergencies.

The Met Office began naming major storms in 2015 as a way to keep the public informed about severe weather. Storms are named in alphabetical order throughout the season, from September to August.