Boat owners urged to prepare for Storm Austen

Boat owners have been told to ensure their vessels are ready for the winter with stormy conditions forecast.

Guernsey Ports issued the advice after the UK Met Office named Storm Austen with strong winds and heavy rain forecast on Thursday evening into Friday.

According to Jersey Met's forecast for Guernsey, gale force nine wind gusts of up to 75mph (121km/h) are expected on Thursday night and Friday morning, along with heavy showers and thunder.

Harbour master James Way said berth holders should take precautionary measures before conditions worsen and ensure their boats are properly secured ahead of the winter.

Advice from Guernsey Ports included making sure mooring lines are in good condition, fenders are correctly positioned and adequately inflated, shore power connections are safe and loose items on deck are removed or firmly secured.

"The arrival of Storm Austen is a timely reminder to check your vessels are ready for the winter, if you haven't had the chance to already," Way said.

"With strong winds forecast, we would encourage boat owners to take a few simple precautions and make sure their vessels, moorings and equipment are secure before conditions deteriorate."

Jersey Met issued an orange weather warning for wind in the Channel Islands shipping area for Wednesday morning just after 03:00 BST.

Guernsey Ports added the walk-ashore bridge which linked the Swan pontoons to Crown Pier in St Peter Port Harbour had been removed ahead of its annual winter maintenance programme.

It added the bridge along with other seasonal pontoon infrastructure would be returned in the spring once cleaned and inspected.

Guernsey airline Aurigny said it had activated its WeatherFlex policy which allows certain customers to move their flight to an alternative date within five days of the original scheduled departure.

The policy is active on services between 21 and 23 October to and from Alderney, as well as all flights to and from Guernsey on 23 October.

Certain flights are also eligible on 22 October and the airline said affected customers had been notified.

Aurigny said it intends to operate all scheduled services as planned, "wherever safe conditions permit".

"Should a flight subsequently be cancelled due to adverse weather, affected customers will be eligible for a full refund," it said.

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