Storm Austen: First named storm of season to batter UK with strong winds

Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, is to bring strong winds to parts of the UK.

The storm is forecast to bring gusts of 50-60mph to southern areas of the UK at the end of the week, with 70mph possible along exposed coasts.

The warning currently runs from midnight to midday on Friday, October 23, and covers most of south-west England and southern Wales.

Parts of the south coast as far east as Brighton are also affected.

Met Office deputy chief forecaster Tom Crabtree says the exact track and position of Storm Austen is still being determined.

He added: “What’s clear is that we have an impactful period of weather on the way and the potential for disruption in places, which has resulted in the system being named.

“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.

“Weather warnings are under constant review and could be updated as confidence increases, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with the forecast in the coming days.”

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.