Storm Austen forecast: Southern UK faces strong winds and heavy rain

Warning covers southern areas

The Met Office expects Austen to approach south-west England on Thursday, after rain and showers affect many areas on Tuesday and Wednesday. Its yellow strong-wind warning runs from midnight until midday on Friday.

The warning includes most of south-west England and southern Wales, as well as parts of the south coast reaching Brighton. Forecasters expect the storm to travel west to east on Friday, with winds easing later that day.

Gusts and rainfall expected

Tom Crabtree, the Met Office deputy chief forecaster, said the storm’s precise path was still being assessed. He said the system had the potential to disrupt some places, prompting its name.

Winds could top 70mph on the most exposed coasts, while gusts of 50mph to 60mph are expected more broadly within the warning zone. Many areas could receive 20mm to 30mm of rain.

Unsettled weather beyond Friday

Austen is expected to move towards the North Sea late on Friday. The Met Office says more wind and rain are likely over the weekend and into early next week, with the heaviest rainfall forecast in western areas.

The agency says warnings remain under review and may change as forecasts become more certain. Holly Clements, its head of warnings and guidance, said naming storms helps people understand risks and take steps to protect themselves and their property.

How storms receive names

Storm names are chosen with Ireland’s Met Éireann and the Netherlands’ KNMI. Austen was proposed by Met Éireann in tribute to Austen Nagle, its first director, while Chloe was among the public suggestions and was submitted more than 130 times.