Storm Austen named as wind warning issued for southern England
Rain adds a further hazard, with 20-30mm in many places and higher totals possible over higher ground in the west and further north on 23 October.
The Met Office has named Storm Austen, with disruptive wind and rain expected from late on 22 October and a yellow wind warning covering southern England and south Wales.
The warning highlights the chance of travel disruption, power cuts and injuries from debris in places.
Tom Crabtree, the Met Office’s deputy chief forecaster, said the exact track and position of Storm Austen were still being determined, but the system had been named because of the “potential for disruption in places”.
“Peak gusts in excess of 70mph are possible on the most exposed coastal areas,” Crabtree said. Gusts of 50-60mph were “likely more widely within the warning area”.
Crabtree added that weather warnings were under constant review and could be updated as confidence increases, and that it was important to stay up to date with the forecast in the coming days.
Spells of rain and showers are expected for many on 20 and 21 October. The focus then shifts to the southwest of the UK late on 22 October, as Storm Austen begins its approach.
The Met Office said an area of low pressure forming in the Atlantic would deepen rapidly as the jet stream invigorated it. The storm would then move from west to east through 23 October, with winds generally diminishing later in the day.
Austen’s influence will wane late on 23 October as it moves into the North Sea. Further periods of wind and rain are likely through the weekend and into the start of the week beginning 26 October, with the heaviest rain more likely in western areas.
