The National Grid, external website shows 40,645 properties are without power in Cornwall. In Devon, the figure is 466, and the Isles of Scilly 575 properties are without power.

Jersey Airport has recorded a 74mph (119km/h) gust of wind, up from 66mph (106km/h) earlier this evening.

In Guernsey, a gust of 73mph (117km/h) has been recorded at Guernsey Airport, up from 63mph (101km/h).

Robert Hall
BBC News correspondent

Dozens of residents in the north-west of Jersey are without power after gales brought down overhead lines.

Earlier, local forecasters issued a red weather warning and local services declared a major incident.

Lucy Walker, from Cape Cornwall, has described the situation as "brutal" and "terrifying".

She said: "[It's] awful - very, very gusty, the rain is battering against the windows, it's leaking through actually so we're hoping it's not going to blow in...

"We're hunkered down, we've got hot water bottles, thermoses, we've got everything charged, we've just got to sit it out.

"We have had storms here before so we do expect them, so we know how to prepare, but we've never had it like this before, we've never experienced it, it's quite frightening.

"I can hear the slates above us moving, I can just see the white of the sea - obviously everything's black outside but I can see that it's big, big waves out there.

"It's terrifying."

The States of Guernsey said the emergency control room had received a lot of 999 calls about fallen trees.

It said: "It is important that the 999 lines stay open for emergencies, and so we'd like to reiterate the earlier message from Guernsey Police asking islanders to only phone 222 222 to report downed trees unless it is an emergency itself.

"Phone lines will be busy throughout the night, and so it may take some time to get through. Please be patient."

It said Storm Goretti had resulted in four fallen trees across the island so far.

The National Grid, external website shows about 38,000 properties are without power in Cornwall, up from 28,000 at 19:15 GMT.

The Channel Islands have recorded wind gusts of 63mph (101km/h) at Guernsey Airport and 66mph (106km/h) at Jersey Airport.

David Braine
Senior broadcast meteorologist

Storm Goretti started as a small area of low pressure in the middle of the Atlantic and at midnight on Wednesday was at 1,006mb.

Since then it has deepened rapidly going through a process of explosive cyclogenesis, such that by 18:00 today it had reached 969mb, a drop of some 37mb in 18hrs.

Explosive cyclogenesis or “weather bomb” is when rapid acceleration of air caused by the jet stream high up in the atmosphere can remove air from the column above an area of low pressure, reducing its weight so causing pressure to fall at sea level.

This in turn sucks in air which converges from surrounding regions resulting in faster and faster rotation of the circulation, in the same way that ice skaters spin faster by drawing their arms in.

The resulting winds peak over a period of a few hours and can reach speeds of up to 100mph.

Cornwall Council says conditions in the county are "dangerous".

It said: "Please stay indoors and do not travel.

"We're receiving reports of fallen trees and power lines, and debris blocking roads.

"These conditions pose a serious risk to life.

"Do not put yourself or others in danger."

David Dixon
BBC Cornwall

I am safely in my house. About half an hour ago it was relatively calm and then it started absolutely screaming - just howling, howling wind and rain.

There are bins strewn all over the street just outside my house, debris everywhere, water pouring down the street.

Opposite me there is a fence that has blown down, there are parts of trees that have come down.

The lights are flickering on and off. We still have power, and most of the houses I can see from my house in Penzance also still have power.

I haven't known wind like this for a very, very long time.

The National Grid, external website shows about 28,000 homes are without power in Cornwall.

Our correspondent Kirk England has been in Plymouth this evening.

The city is currently covered by a yellow wind warning, with nearby parts of the South West covered by a red warning.

"You really have to brace yourself against some of the stronger gusts of wind," he said.

He added the "worst is yet to come" for the region and people were "battening down the hatches".

St Mary's Airport has recorded gust speeds of 99mph (159km/h).

Elsewhere, wind gusts have reached 74mph (119 km/h) at Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight, 59mph (94 km/h) at Culdrose, Cornwall, and 58mph (93km/h) in Camborne, Cornwall, according to the Met Office.

Image source, Met Office

The latest maximum gust speeds recorded at St Mary's Airport, Isles of Scilly, has now reached 99mph (159km/h).

Earlier, it reached 98mph.

Craig Jackson, chief inspector for response and community policing at Jersey Police, said the force was working with key partners to respond and deal with emergency calls linked to Storm Goretti.

He said: "We've increased our response officers tonight ... and here within the combined control room to support and assist in the increased demand that we anticipate in the next certainly 12 hours."

He advised people to "adhere to the Government of Jersey guidance which is... to go home, stay at home, secure anything in the garden they can do that could be loose or blown away and to stay at home".

The force is asking people to only call the police in an emergency - if there was a risk to life.

It is working with colleagues from the Jersey Fire & Rescue Service, Jersey Ambulance Service and Jersey Coastguard.

The National Grid map says, external there are currently more than 9,500 homes without power in Cornwall, about 700 in the Isles of Scilly and more than 1,000 in Devon.

The number is changing constantly and we will keep you up to date.

Mel Osborne, a presenter at BBC Radio Cornwall, is at home on the outskirts of St Ives, Cornwall.

She said: "Half an hour ago it was silent here, but very quickly the wind has picked up and it is now howling and roaring, the windows are rattling, the lights are flickering and it's hard to hear the TV above the sound of the wind.

"We're expecting to lose power so have gathered candles and torches in readiness.

"[My] husband just tried to go out to check on something and there are tiles flying everywhere already."

• A rare red wind warning is issued by the Met Office for Cornwall and the Channel Islands, as Storm Goretti heads towards the UK
• The red wind warning is in place until 23:00 GMT
• Islanders have been advised to stay indoors by emergency services following Storm Goretti being declared a major incident by the States of Guernsey
• In Jersey, a major incident has also been declared and forecaster Bryan de Gruchy said the island could be battered by gusts similar to a 2023 storm which caused people to evacuate their homes
• St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly experienced gusts of 98mph (158km/h) on Thursday evening

• Emergency alerts, sounds which blare from mobile phones, have been sent to people in Cornwall and Devon by the government

BBC South West senior broadcast meteorologist David Braine said St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly has experienced gusts of 98mph (158km/h).

The red warning for wind covers parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly until 23:00.

Image source, Met Office

Victoria Graham
BBC Spotlight

As Storm Goretti moves through Devon and Cornwall, BBC Spotlight will be bringing you the latest updates on the disruption to keep you up to date.

People have been advised to stay indoors and not travel unless they have to, and to stay away from coasts.

More than 500 homes are currently without power in Cornwall and 200 in Devon.

We'll be talking to the leader of Cornwall Council about how it has prepared for this event, reporter Johnny Rutherford is in Penzance, and John Ayres has been in Dawlish.

Join us from 18:30 GMT or on the iPlayer.