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.

Byron Bay influencer Ruby Tuesday Matthews says she is considering leaving Australia permanently, joining a growing number of Australians weighing up a move overseas.

The 33-year-old mother of three shared the update during an Instagram Q&A on Thursday, revealing that she and her partner, Shannan Dodd, were exploring a relocation to Hong Kong.

“I’m going to say 90 percent sure we’re going,” Ruby told her followers.

Shannan, who was beside her during the Q&A, agreed that the move could benefit their businesses. “I think that we should definitely [move]… because our business will thrive a lot more overseas.”

Ruby also used the discussion to criticise Australia’s tax system, saying that the couple felt they were surrendering a significant portion of their earnings despite working harder than ever.

“Well, realistically, we give all of our money to the bloody government and we work harder than we’ve ever worked in our life,” she said.

The couple runs four companies between them, including fashion label Robey and fine jewellery brand Toujours, Ruby explained.

“And we don’t even get to see our kids, let alone go on a proper holiday or like do anything, and we give everything to the government,” she complained, as Shannan nodded in agreement.

Their remarks come as Australia’s tax arrangements remain a source of debate among business owners and high-income earners, particularly around the distinction between personal income tax and company tax.

Australian companies generally pay a corporate tax rate of 30 per cent. Eligible small businesses with an aggregated turnover of less than $50 million may qualify for the lower 25 per cent rate.

Company tax is separate from the personal income tax individuals pay, so a business owner’s total tax position depends on how the company is structured and how its profits are distributed.

Ruby recently returned from South Korea, where she underwent a $16,000 facelift in August.

She later attracted attention during her recovery after posting a tearful video about her demanding work schedule and the grief she was experiencing following the death of her best friend, Byron Bay property developer Myles Trainor.

Trainor, 41, died in June and left behind two young sons. Ruby had previously paid tribute to her close friend, who was also the godfather of her daughter, Holiday.

She also disclosed that she had experienced complications after a failed dilation and curettage procedure, known as a D&C, and subsequently required emergency surgery.

“Just been through some of the biggest changes as of late, losing my best friend, which I think has just really hit me, having a D&C that failed and then having to have an emergency surgery which hormonally has f**ked me,” she said.

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Ruby said the combination of her personal losses, health struggles and professional commitments had left her feeling overwhelmed.

‘Working with the most insane deadlines. I’m struggling so much in motherhood and navigating my children,’ she said. 

‘And on top of that, being someone who is neurodiverse myself and having ADHD, I’ve always felt like emotional regulation, extremely hard.’ 

Ruby added that she has been feeling overwhelmed by ‘financial obligations’ as well as her recent decision to part ways with her management.

She stressed that she was not sharing the video to receive sympathy or messages of reassurance, but rather to be honest about how difficult life could become.

‘There’s so many other people who reach the end of their tether,’ she said.

‘And I just wanted to say that, like, I feel you and I’m a normal person too.’

The influencer, who has previously spoken publicly about her mental health, said she believed people often forgot that the lives presented on social media did not tell the full story.

Ruby also spoke about the physical toll of undergoing surgery, saying she felt exhausted while trying to continue working overseas.

In another emotional video, she said she had not felt like herself since experiencing postnatal depression.

‘I’m at this weird point, I haven’t felt since kind of like having postnatal depression where I’m in such a weird headspace and usually I can get myself out of it,’ she said.

‘But I’m obviously overseas and I have to go to work an hour and pack my suitcase and keep going.’

Ruby said her demanding schedule had left her feeling as though she could barely catch her breath.

‘I’m just at the point of overwhelm,’ she reiterated, adding: ‘I know I have people I can reach out to, but I’m feeling so f**king alone. And I’m feeling pretty lost.’

Erika Kirk has asked a judge to reject what she described as a “grossly out of line” request from the attorneys representing the man accused of killing her husband, Charlie Kirk, to postpone his trial until 2029.

Charlie Kirk, 31, was allegedly shot by Tyler Robinson, then 22, during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.

Robinson was ordered last month to stand trial on an aggravated murder charge and several other counts. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

In a memorandum filed Wednesday, Robinson’s defense team argued that it would need three years to prepare adequately for a trial they expect could last “six to seven months,” KSL reported.

The attorneys said they still had pretrial motions to pursue through 2029, along with years of evidence to examine and a potentially lengthy, high-profile jury selection process to navigate.

Later Wednesday, lawyers for Erika filed their own court document urging the trial to begin as early as possible in 2027. They cited the emotional strain the case has placed on her and the couple’s two children.

“Every additional day of delay carries the weight of all that Charlie’s murder has taken from his family, especially his two young children who were just three and one year old when their father was murdered and would be seven and five years old by the time a verdict is handed down under the Defense’s proposed schedule,” the filing states.

Erika’s legal team also warned that a prolonged case would increase the financial burden on taxpayers. According to Fox News, Robinson’s defense has already required $1.6 million in public funds.

Utah prosecutors had previously estimated that the trial could begin on October 4, 2027. However, the state has argued that starting then would cause the proceedings to stretch because of the holiday period.

“The State therefore proposes that the Court schedule the trial to begin January 31, 2028,” the prosecution’s memorandum says.

Robinson’s defense attorneys maintain that moving too quickly could ultimately harm both sides in the case.

“It will create unrealistic expectations for the public and the victim’s representative, it may cause counsel for both parties to give short shrift to constitutionally required activities, it may rush this Court to deliberate upon and enter rulings on important and complex pretrial motions, and it may jeopardize Mr. Robinson’s right to a capital proceeding that has the utmost reliability,” they wrote.

Attorneys for the state, Erika Kirk and Robinson are scheduled to meet again Friday to discuss the timetable and seek further guidance on scheduling. Erika is expected to participate remotely.

In September, Utah District Judge Tony Graf sided with prosecutors, who said they had “a mountain of evidence” indicating that Robinson fatally shot the conservative activist the previous September.

Following Graf’s decision, Robinson pleaded not guilty to every charge, including aggravated murder.

Robinson surrendered to authorities the day after the shooting. His attorneys have not presented an alternative explanation for Kirk’s death.

The defense team tried to block a trial or at least take the death penalty off the table, arguing that prosecutors failed to show Kirk´s shooting placed others around him at risk of death. 

That´s an aggravating factor under state law that makes Robinson eligible for capital punishment.

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Kirk’s family called the ruling ‘an important step in our family´s pursuit of justice.’

‘Every step in this process carries the weight of all that Charlie´s murder has taken from his family, especially his children who will grow up without their father,’ they said in a statement.

Prosecutors said Robinson shot Kirk from a rooftop more than 400 feet (122 meters) away, knowing he could have missed and killed others at the open-air event.

‘Tyler James Robinson shot and killed Charlie Kirk because he disagreed with him, and he did it by firing a high-powered rifle into a crowd of over 3,000 people, which created a great risk of death that anyone would know about,’ said Ryan McBride, a prosecutor with the Utah County Attorney´s Office.

Graf had the option to send the case to trial on a lesser charge of murder, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. 

He said his decision to approve the aggravated murder charge was based on the positions of several people in and around a tent where Kirk was speaking, among other factors.

The hearing in state court came after prosecutors in July spent five days presenting evidence, including DNA and a handwritten note they allege Robinson left for his romantic partner that read, ‘I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.’

Robinson had no visible reaction to the ruling. Tears welled in his mother´s eyes as Graf read it aloud.

Staci Visser, an attorney for Robinson, argued that prosecutors were trying to ‘shoehorn’ the case into Utah’s aggravated murder statute. 

Prior case law required prosecutors to show that there was a high probability – not merely a possibility – that other people could have been killed, she noted.

Kirk was seated on a stage in an elevated position, not immediately near anyone else, when he was shot once in the neck, she said.

‘There is one shot. There is one bullet. There is one victim,’ Visser said. ‘There is zero evidence that there was any action taken towards other people.’

Prosecutor Chad Grunander noted that the alleged murder weapon – a bolt-action rifle – was loaded with additional rounds that had not been fired, saying Robinson ‘came prepared to shoot again.’

Investigators presented DNA analyses in July that they said linked Robinson to the rifle and a tool he allegedly used to engrave the bullet cartridges. Defense attorneys questioned the reliability of the DNA tests.

Robinson also faces potential sentencing enhancements if prosecutors can show he targeted Kirk for his political beliefs.

Before his death, Kirk and Turning Point USA galvanized the conservative youth vote to help President Donald Trump win a second term.

Prosecutors argued that a bullet found in the rifle, engraved with ‘Hey Facist! CATCH!’, shows that Kirk was targeted for how the defendant perceived his politics. 

They have also alleged Robinson wrote in a text message about Kirk: ‘I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can´t be negotiated out.’

Defense attorneys argued that prosecutors do not have strong enough evidence to prove a political motivation.

When Sydney makeup artist Michelle Dubé developed mild nausea one Sunday afternoon, she assumed something she had eaten was to blame.

The 58-year-old had no pain, was not vomiting and saw little reason to think the seemingly minor symptoms were anything more serious than a stomach bug.

Seven days later, however, the mother of three was in hospital. Doctors found a small tumour at the head of her pancreas and diagnosed her with devastating Stage 2 pancreatic cancer.

Michelle is now enduring intensive chemotherapy before major surgery. She is sharing her experience to alert other Australians to the subtle warning signs she nearly dismissed.

‘I thought I had an infection [and] was going home with antibiotics,’ she told the Daily Mail.

Her diagnosis comes as concern grows over upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. New research shows that one Australian dies from this group of diseases every 57 minutes, even as many people remain unaware of how common they are or which symptoms should prompt medical attention.

Before receiving her diagnosis in August, Michelle was leading a busy and rewarding life in Sydney, where she lives with her husband and their three adult children.

She was running several businesses and making plans for the future. Cancer was the furthest thing from her mind when she first began to feel unwell.

The warning signs she almost ignored

‘I was lying on the lounge watching a movie, and I thought, “Oh, I actually don’t feel that great, I feel a bit nauseous”,’ she recalled.

Michelle initially believed the discomfort was linked to something she had eaten. She could not finish dinner that night, but did not think much more of it. The next morning, she told her husband she seemed to have picked up a stomach bug.

The nausea continued for the rest of the week, although it remained relatively mild.

As the days went by, though, she began noticing further changes: her urine had become darker, her bowel habits had altered and her skin appeared to be taking on a faint yellow tinge.

At first, Michelle was unsure whether her complexion had genuinely changed. By the following weekend, however, she was feeling considerably worse.

Unable to get an appointment with her usual GP, she went to a medical centre. The doctor there advised her to go to hospital for further tests.

Blood tests and scans identified a blockage in her bile duct. Doctors initially suspected a gallbladder condition and even discussed removing the organ.

Further investigations revealed a two-centimetre tumour at the head of her pancreas. The growth was blocking the bile duct and causing the symptoms she had mistaken for a stomach bug.

A subsequent PET scan found no apparent sign that the cancer had spread elsewhere. Michelle was diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer.

Although the diagnosis came as a devastating shock, she still considers herself fortunate that the symptoms prompted her to seek help when they did, particularly given how easily the mild nausea could have been dismissed.

The gruelling treatment plan saving Michelle’s life 

While Michelle had begun to suspect something serious was wrong by the time doctors started searching for a tumour, she admitted that the reality of her diagnosis and the treatment that followed had been far more difficult than she could ever have imagined.

Her parents were with her in hospital when doctors delivered the news, while her husband was balancing responsibilities at home and their business.

Since then, she has begun a demanding treatment plan involving six rounds of chemotherapy ahead of a major operation known as a Whipple procedure, followed by a further six rounds of chemotherapy if her body is able to tolerate it.

At the time of her interview, Michelle had completed three rounds of chemotherapy and is preparing for surgery shortly after Christmas.

The Whipple procedure, also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy, is a complex operation typically performed to treat certain cancers affecting the pancreas.

It generally involves removing the head of the pancreas, the first section of the small intestine, the gallbladder and part of the bile duct, before reconstructing the digestive tract to allow food to pass through.

For patients whose cancer can be surgically removed, the procedure offers a potential chance of long-term survival, although the operation is extensive and recovery can be challenging.

Michelle is acutely aware of the difficult road ahead, admitting that the physical effects of chemotherapy have already pushed her to breaking point on several occasions.

While cancer patients are often praised for their bravery and resilience, she says the reality of living with the disease can be far more complicated, particularly when the expectation to remain positive becomes another burden to carry.

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‘I do not feel like a cancer warrior. I have had a breakdown, and I’ve had the worst weeks of my entire life,’ she admitted.

‘There’s a definite pressure to kind of make everyone feel like that it’s going to be okay. As a mum, that’s what you have to do.’

The shock diagnosis has also forced Michelle to step away from much of the professional life she had spent years building, with the side effects of treatment leaving her unable to keep up with even the simplest tasks associated with her beauty business.

The family history that raised new questions

Michelle’s diagnosis has also prompted her to investigate whether an inherited genetic mutation could have contributed to her cancer, particularly after losing her sister to ovarian cancer at just 52.

Following her sister’s diagnosis, Michelle underwent a hysterectomy as a precaution, hoping to reduce her own risk of developing a gynaecological cancer.

However, she has since learned that certain inherited genetic mutations associated with ovarian cancer can also increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, raising new questions about her family’s medical history.

Changes in genes including BRCA1 and BRCA2 are known to increase the risk of several cancers, although having relatives affected by the disease does not necessarily mean a person carries an inherited mutation.

Michelle has now begun genetic testing to investigate whether there may be an underlying hereditary link, with the results yet to be confirmed.

Australia’s hidden cancer crisis

Michelle’s experience comes as new research from the Pancare Foundation highlights the growing toll of upper gastrointestinal cancers, which affect the pancreas, liver, stomach, oesophagus, gallbladder and bile ducts.

The findings reveal that one Australian dies from an upper GI cancer approximately every 57 minutes, with the group of diseases now responsible for more deaths than lung cancer when assessed using Cancer Australia’s tumour groupings.

Despite the scale of the problem, a national survey found just two per cent of Australians were aware of the extent of the crisis, highlighting a significant gap between the number of people affected and public understanding of the diseases.

The research, which examined two decades of Australian cancer mortality data alongside a national YouGov survey of more than 1,000 people, found that deaths from upper GI cancers had increased at twice the rate of overall cancer deaths during the past decade.

Upper GI cancers now account for almost one in five cancer deaths in Australia, despite receiving less than one in ten cancer research dollars in recent years.

According to Pancare Foundation’s Head of Research, Innovation and Advocacy, Dr Mark Buzza, the increase has been driven largely by rising deaths from pancreatic and liver cancers, which have doubled and tripled respectively over the past two decades.

‘This should ring alarm bells for governments about the community danger from this silent killer,’ he said.

One of the greatest challenges associated with pancreatic cancer is that symptoms can be vague or absent in the early stages, meaning the disease is frequently discovered only after it has progressed.

Warning signs can include persistent nausea, unexplained weight loss, changes in appetite, abdominal or back pain, pale stools, dark urine and jaundice, which causes yellowing of the skin or eyes.

Although Michelle’s symptoms can also be associated with less serious medical conditions, experts stress that persistent, unexplained or worsening changes should not be ignored.

‘That’s why we’re encouraging people to know the facts, ‘trust their gut’ and seek advice from their GP if something doesn’t feel right, because early detection and treatment are vital to improving survival,’ Dr Buzza said.

Beyond the physical challenges of treatment, Michelle says her diagnosis has fundamentally changed the way she thinks about the future, particularly the sacrifices she and her husband have made while saving for retirement.

Like many couples, they had spent years working hard, building their businesses and being careful with money, always believing there would be plenty of time to travel and enjoy life once they retired.

‘We are going travelling,’ she said, reflecting on the holidays they had postponed and the destinations, including Greece, they had always dreamed of visiting.

For now, Michelle remains focused on completing chemotherapy and preparing for surgery, hopeful that treatment will allow her to return to the family, career and experiences she treasures.