High winds knock out power to thousands in southwest England as 1st of two major storms sweep in

High winds caused power outages for thousands of residents in southwest England on Friday morning. The disruption was triggered by the first of two major storms arriving from the Atlantic, which are forecasted to impact the United Kingdom throughout the weekend.

Emergency services and utility providers are responding to the conditions as the region prepares for the arrival of a second storm. The event marks the beginning of a period of severe weather expected to affect the country over the coming days.