Storm Austen leaves thousands without power in south-west England
Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, knocked out power to thousands of homes in south-west England on 23 October 2026, and schools closed across the region. The Guardian reported that dozens of schools in Cornwall opened late or did not open at all that day.
Just before 11am, more than 16,000 homes in south-west England were without power, according to National Grid. Earlier that morning, National Grid said, engineers had restored power to more than 12,000 properties affected by the storm, by 8am.
The strongest gust recorded in the storm so far was 76mph, at St Mary's airport on the Isles of Scilly on the morning of 23 October. The Met Office had an amber wind warning in place for Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly from 1am until 10am that day. The forecasting service says an amber warning means there is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, which could disrupt plans.
Travel was also hit. National Rail reported severe disruption, with cancellations across England, Wales and Scotland. On the south coast, part of Brighton's West Pier fell into the sea after being battered by wind and waves.
The Met Office had forecast in advance that strong winds would reach parts of the UK from late Thursday and through Friday, with heavy rain from Thursday night. Storm Austen was one of two storms expected to affect the country in quick succession. The BBC reported that it and Storm Boelo were forecast to target the UK within two days of each other.
Met Office Chief Forecaster Dan Suri said Storm Austen was moving into the Low Countries (the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) but would still bring wet and windy conditions.
