Storm Austen Hits Britain as Met Office Issues Amber Warning

The UK is preparing for a spell of severe weather, with two named storms set to bring potentially damaging winds, intense rain and travel disruption today and throughout the weekend.

Storm Austen, the season’s first named storm, is forecast to produce gusts of up to 80mph across parts of south-west England. Winds of between 60mph and 70mph are expected more widely across the region.

The Met Office has issued an amber wind warning for Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly. It comes into force at 1am and remains in place until 10am.

The strongest winds will arrive alongside periods of heavy rain, although conditions are expected to gradually ease as the day progresses.

Forecasters warned that Storm Austen could cause disruption and bring potentially damaging winds, with roads and public transport services likely to be affected.

The Met Office said flying debris was likely, while buildings could also be damaged, including roof tiles being blown loose.

Large waves are expected along exposed coastlines and could pose a danger to life. Debris from beaches may also be swept onto coastal roads, promenades and nearby properties.

Stormy conditions may also lead to interruptions to mobile phone coverage and power supplies, according to the Met Office.

Chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said the storm represented the first significant bout of stormy weather to reach southern parts of the UK this season, adding that some disruption was expected as it moved through the country.

Mr Armstrong said that, with trees still in leaf, fallen branches and trees could block roads and railway lines, urging commuters to take extra care during Friday morning travel.

A second system, Storm Boelo, is expected to bring what forecasters described as “impactful winds” to Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England over the weekend.

Yellow weather warnings cover mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney and the far north of England from 6pm on Saturday until 9pm on Sunday.

Widespread gusts of 55mph to 65mph are forecast, while more exposed coastal areas could see winds reaching 70mph to 80mph, the Met Office said.

Network Rail Scotland said trains would operate at reduced speeds on Friday and throughout the weekend as a safety measure in areas forecast to experience the heaviest rain.

Southern Rail also reported early on Friday that a lightning strike at Normans Bay had prevented trains from stopping at the station.

Elsewhere, National Rail said in a post on X that the weather warning meant fewer trains would call at Ryde Pier Head until 6pm on Friday.

The operator also said a number of services in England’s north will be changed throughout the day on Friday, advising passengers to plan ahead.

Some services between Leeds and York via Harrogate will not stop at Weeton or Headingley, while trains between York and Blackpool North will skip New Pudsey.

A separate yellow warning, covering Northern Ireland from 6pm on Saturday to 3pm on Sunday, is due to predicted winds of 50-60mph, with up to 65-75mph in exposed regions.

Storm Boelo is a separate low pressure system to Storm Austen.

Storm Austen is due to clear eastwards into the North Sea through Friday.

Forecasters have also issued a yellow warning for wind across a large area of south west England and Wales, running from 10pm on Thursday through to 5pm on Friday – with gusts predicted to reach up to 45-55mph.

Another yellow weather warning for large parts of England, the North West and North Wales is in place from 10am Friday until 9pm that evening.

Heavy rain is expected on Friday, as Storm Austen tracks eastwards throughout the day.

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It will be heaviest in southern and eastern Scotland, where a yellow weather warning has been issued from 7am to midnight on Friday.

Accumulations of 20-40mm are expected within the warning area throughout this time, with 60-80mm possible in some locations, the Met Office said.

This could bring flooding and travel disruption in a few places.

One flood warning, meaning flooding is expected, remained in place for the South Devon coast at Beesands, Torcross, Slapton and Dawlish.

Eight other flood alerts – meaning flooding is possible – were in place across England.

Garth Smith, head of resilience at the British Red Cross, has encouraged the public to take steps to protect themselves, their families and their homes.

He said: ‘We have practical advice that can make a real difference – from checking in with people who may be more vulnerable, securing loose items in your garden to checking windows and doors, and making an evacuation plan for your household, including pets.

‘We also urge people to keep an eye on local weather reports and guidance from local authorities.’

Ross Macleod, the RNLI’s water safety manager, has asked people not to take ‘unnecessary risks’ when visiting the coast.

He said: ‘If you plan to visit the coast or a waterside location, we urge you stay a safe distance from the water as conditions could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea.’

The forecast comes a week after severe drought was declared in parts of England, amid concerns over dwindling reservoirs because of extremely dry conditions.

The South East and South West have experienced their driest April to September for more than a century – affecting reservoirs in those areas, according to officials.

As a result, ‘severe drought’ – in which a lack of water affects daily life and the environment in major ways, and can have extensive effects – has been declared in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex.

But supercharged El Nino conditions in the Pacific which affect weather across the world will put the UK at greater risk of a wet stormy autumn overall, forecasters say.

The Met Office storm year runs from September to August, with each 12-month period having its own alphabetical list of names that are used to label successive storms.

This year’s list begins with Austen and continues with Boelo, Chloe, Dano and Evelyn, ending at W with Wende.

Storm naming is a partnership between the Met Office, Ireland’s Met Éireann and the Dutch service KNMI.

Met Éireann selected the name for the first storm in honour of Austen Nagle, the Irish Meteorological Service’s first director.

KNMI picked names from more than 3,000 suggestions submitted by the public, including Boelo – a nearly extinct name from the east Groningen region that has been passed down through the nominator’s family for generations.

Greenpeace climate campaigner Maja Darlington has called on the Government to act to stop a ‘doomloop of extreme weather’, after a summer of wildfires and drought.

She said: ‘We’ve barely cooled off from a summer of blistering heat, and now the first winter storms are battering at the front door.

‘While millions of people face the prospect of ruined homes and businesses, oil giants are preparing to announce multi-billion-pound profits next week.’

‘The Government must take a stand against this doomloop of extreme weather and corporate impunity,’ Ms Darlington added.