A YELLOW warning for wind affecting South West England has been issued by the Met Office for Friday from midnight Thursday, October 22 to 2pm on Friday, October 23.

The first named storm of the 2026/2027 season, Storm Austen is set to bring a spell of strong winds with transport disruption likely and possible damaging winds in some areas. The alert has been raised to amber across the South West for damaging winds on Friday morning.

Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. The Met Office is also advising that some roads and bridges may close.

Strong west to northwesterly winds will spread across southern parts of England and Wales during Thursday night and into Friday.

Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are likely and some coastal or exposed areas could see 70 mph or more and are most likely over parts of South West England.

Strong winds will be also combined with periods of heavy rain making for difficult travel conditions.

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “Storm Austen is expected to bring a spell of impactful weather to parts of the UK from Thursday night and through Friday.

“While there remains some uncertainty in the exact track of the storm, there is increasing confidence in the potential for disruptive winds across parts of southwest England, which is why an Amber warning has been issued.

“Winds gusts could potentially reach 60 to 70 mph for a time, and these strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain. People in affected areas should keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings as the event develops.”

People are being advised to protect their property and people from injury and to secure loose items such as bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds and fences.

Commuters and travellers should check bus and train timetables ahead of travel and to amend their travel plans as necessary.

National Grid Electricity Distribution is also asking customers in the South West to be prepared in case of power cuts during Storm Austen.

The electricity network is built to be resilient, but extreme weather can impact power supplies. NGED staff will be working around the clock to restore electricity quickly if severe conditions cause disruptions.

Chief operating officer at National Grid Electricity Distribution, Amy Webb, said: “With Storm Austen approaching, our priority is to be ready for whatever the weather brings.

“We’ll be monitoring the network closely and have teams ready to respond quickly and safely if there is any damage."

NGED is asking its 1.6 million customers in the South West to prepare for the storm by keeping a torch handy – avoid using candles or paraffin heaters, charging phones and battery packs, monitoring weather forecasts and checking on vulnerable neighbours, friends and relatives and making sure any medical equipment at home has a battery back-up, if not please contact your medical professional for advice.

Customers can report power cuts at National Grid - Homepage or by calling 105 or 0800 6783 105.

For further information on how to stay safe in a storm visit the Met Office website.