Storm Austen to bring severe gales to UK as weather warning issued — SkimNews
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- Storm Austen, the first named storm of autumn, is set to batter parts of the UK with severe gales and heavy rain beginning Thursday night
- The Met Office issued a yellow wind warning in force from midnight Friday to 12:00 BST, covering south Wales, south-west England, and southern coastal counties of England
- Wind gusts of up to 70mph are expected in the warning zone, with 50-60mph more widely across west Wales and southern England, bringing risks of building damage, travel disruption, and power cuts
- Scotland and Northern Ireland will largely miss Storm Austen's impacts, with the storm clearing into the North Sea later on Friday
- A second deep low pressure system will follow on Saturday with 70-80mph gusts affecting western Scotland, with potential ferry cancellations and bridge restrictions
Why it matters: The 70mph gusts inside a Met Office yellow warning zone covering south Wales, south-west England, and southern coastal counties create a concrete Friday-morning disruption window for transport networks, buildings, and power supplies — and a second unnamed system hits Scotland with 70-80mph gusts the very next day, meaning ferry and bridge operators face back-to-back impacts.
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