Brighton’s Historic West Pier Suffers Further Collapse as Storm Austen Hits South Coast

LONDON — On Friday, a portion of the once‑iconic West Pier in Brighton crumbled into the sea as the first of two major Atlantic storms of the weekend made landfall, cutting power to tens of thousands of households and enterprises.

The historic West Pier in Brighton, a popular resort town in southern England, gave way to towering waves as it was battered by Storm Austen, the United Kingdom’s national weather service has named.

This latest collapse continues the slow decline of the structure, which was ravaged by fire in 2003.

“Ever since the two devastating arson attacks in 2003, the West Pier has been eroding step by step by natural forces,” said Professor Fred Grey, an honorary historian at the West Pier Trust. “All ruins are living, evolving entities, and the West Pier is no exception.”

The Met Office issued an amber wind warning—its second‑highest level—for gusts up to 80 mph (130 kph) across Cornwall and Devon as Storm Austen moved east along the Channel coast. Meanwhile, forecasters on Jersey issued a red marine warning for shipping around the Channel Islands, where gusts of similar strength were forecast.

National Grid reported that more than 31,000 homes in the southwest were without electricity by midday. Since Storm Austen made landfall, engineers have restored power to over 52,000 properties.

A second major storm, Boelo, is forecast to bring additional wind and heavy rainfall over the weekend. The Met Office upgraded its warning for Boelo from yellow to amber for Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England late Saturday through Sunday.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham cautioned residents to prepare for further weather events that could lead to winter flooding.

“We may be heading into a winter with increased flooding risk, so it’s crucial to recognize those hazards and act now,” he said while attending a summit aimed at learning from this summer’s record‑breaking wildfires.

The government has launched a “Be Ready” campaign encouraging citizens to prepare for a wide range of hazards, from climate‑related events and technological disruptions to potential hostile‑state actions. A core recommendation is to stockpile food and essential supplies for multi‑day emergencies.

Since 2015, the Met Office has named major storms to better inform the public about severe weather. Names are assigned alphabetically throughout the season, which runs from September to August.

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