Devon and Cornwall battens down the hatches before Storm Austen
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.”
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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