Storm Austen Named as First UK Storm of Season With 70mph Gusts Expected
Storm Austen has become the first named storm of the season for the UK, with gusts of up to 60mph expected in southern areas late in the week.
The storm is expected to approach the south-west by Thursday and then move from west to east through Friday, with about 20mm-30mm of rain in many places, according to The Guardian.
The Met Office has issued a yellow severe weather warning for wind from midnight to midday on Friday. It covers most of south-west England and southern Wales, including parts of the south coast as far east as Brighton.
Within the warning area, gusts of 50-60mph are likely more widely. Peaks in excess of 70mph are possible on the most exposed coastal areas, while gusts exceeding 50mph are possible inland.
Disruptive wind and rain are expected from late Thursday into Friday.
A red warning means dangerous weather is expected and people should take action to keep themselves and others safe, with a very likely risk to life and substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possible widespread damage to property and infrastructure. An amber warning means an increased likelihood of severe weather that could disrupt plans, with possible travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and potential risk to life and property. Yellow warnings can be issued for a range of weather situations.
In the UK, a storm is named when it has the potential to cause disruption or damage that could result in an amber or red warning. The Met Office confirmed it had named Storm Austen, according to the Met Office.
The name Austen was selected by Met Éireann in honour of Austen Nagle, the first director of the service. It heads the 2026-2027 list ahead of Boelo and Chloe, with Dano and Evelyn next, according to the BBC. The previous storm year produced only four named storms: Amy, Bram, Chandra and Dave.
