The UK Met Office named the system Austen on Tuesday, 20 October, making it the first named storm of the season. A storm receives a name when it has the potential to cause disruption or damage that could result in an amber or red warning. Forecasters expect the low to deepen rapidly over the Atlantic as the jet stream feeds it, before it reaches the British Isles. Rain and showers are forecast for Tuesday, 20 October, and Wednesday, 21 October, with the storm approaching south-west England by Thursday, 22 October. The exact track is still being determined, and forecasters said warnings could be updated as confidence grows.
The Met Office has put a yellow wind warning in force from midnight on Friday, 23 October, until 12:00, covering south Wales, south-west England and the southern coastal counties of England. Parts of the south coast as far east as Brighton are also expected to be affected. The storm is due to move from west to east across the warning area during Friday, 23 October, with winds easing later that day and about 20mm to 30mm of rain expected in many places. Deputy chief forecaster Tom Crabtree gave the gust outlook for the warning area:
“Peak gusts in excess of 70mph are possible on the most exposed coastal areas, while 50-60mph are likely more widely within the warning area.”
The storm is expected to move into the North Sea late on Friday, 23 October, but more wind and rain is likely through the weekend and into the start of next week. The heaviest rain is more likely in western areas, and Crabtree said the forecast remains under constant review.
Met Éireann has issued a status yellow rain warning for the whole country, which takes effect at 7pm on Thursday, 22 October, and runs until 8am on Friday, 23 October. The forecaster warned of flooding and treacherous travel conditions during that period. On Tuesday, 20 October, the wettest weather is forecast for Connacht and Munster, while Ulster and east Leinster stay dry. A separate status yellow warning covers Dublin and Wicklow from 1am to 8am on Wednesday, 21 October. Temperatures on Thursday, 22 October, are forecast at 10C to 13C, with heavy rain developing in the south-west in the morning and covering all counties by the afternoon. Saturday, 24 October, starts wet across all counties with strong winds and temperatures up to 15C, while Sunday, 25 October, is cooler at 9C to 11C with gusty winds.
The German weather service DWD expects stormy gusts in the west and north from Friday, 23 October, into the night to Saturday, 24 October. Gusts of up to 74 km/h are forecast, with gusts of up to 88 km/h expected around the North Sea and on mountain summits. The DWD considers severe gusts around 100 km/h unlikely, while private forecasters have pointed to as much as 110 km/h on the highest western and northern peaks. The strongest wind is forecast along a line from Cologne to Hamburg, where the storm leaves on Saturday evening, 24 October, while the east is largely spared. Meteorologist Jan Schenk of The Weather Channel expects the strongest winds on that line. Up to 30 to 40 litres per square metre could fall within 12 to 24 hours in the western low mountain ranges, and the article advises avoiding forests and parks, securing garden furniture and trampolines, and expecting fallen trees because many trees still carry leaves.
Jersey Met has forecast winds that could reach severe gale force 9 by Friday morning, 23 October, with gusts up to 90mph (113km/h). Senior forecaster Matt Winter said the forecast could still change and that the current expectation is gale, perhaps severe gale-force winds:
“some of the model data has been suggesting we could see something a little bit stronger than that.”
The island was hit by strong winds in Storm Goretti in January and by a tornado during Storm Ciarán in 2023, which caused widespread damage. Ferry operator DFDS has rescheduled some services between Jersey, France and the UK ahead of the expected winds.
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Jersey Met is reviewing the situation and will talk to the government about the disruption the island could face. Warnings could be issued at short notice, and discussions with the government and emergency services would take place if the potential for a more severe storm grows. The German forecast has the storm leaving the Cologne to Hamburg line on Saturday evening, 24 October. Ireland faces wet conditions on Saturday, 24 October, and a cooler Sunday, 25 October.
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The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning from midnight on Friday, 23 October, for south Wales and southern England. Met Éireann has a nationwide rain warning in place from Thursday, 22 October, while Germany's DWD expects stormy gusts from Friday.
AI text based on reports by LBC, Bloomberg Business, RTE.ie and other publishers. Published .