An amber warning is in force across parts of south-west England as Storm Austen approaches, bringing a band of strong winds and heavy rain that the Met Office says will arrive early on Friday and clear by the weekend.
The system moving in
A deep area of low pressure is tracking close to the south coast, BBC Weather reports, drawing moisture northward from the Atlantic and setting up a spell of gusty southerly winds that could top 60mph across exposed areas of Devon, Cornwall and the Somerset levels. The public is being told to expect travel disruption on roads and rail, with several bus routes already cancelled for Friday morning.
Why it matters
October storms of this strength are becoming the new normal for the UK, with climate scientists linking the trend to warmer Atlantic sea-surface temperatures that fuel deeper and more mobile low-pressure systems. For households still recovering from last winter’s flooding in the west country, another battering of wind and rain raises fresh concerns over insurance claims and whether the current drainage upgrades can cope with back-to-back saturation events.
Flood risks and fallen branches
The Environment Agency has placed temporary barriers at known pinch-points along the River Exe and the Tamar, where rising groundwater is already seeping into fields. Meanwhile, National Highways warns that falling branches could bring down overhead lines on the M5 and A30, particularly between Exeter and Bodmin where the tree canopy is dense and the wind direction sits at the worst possible angle.
What happens next
The amber warning covers a 12-hour window on Friday morning, after which the system is expected to swing east and weaken as it crosses northern France. The Met Office will issue a detailed situation update on Thursday evening, and local councils have activated their winter-weather rosters early. Residents are advised to secure loose items in gardens, keep sandbags to hand where flooding has been signposted, and avoid travel on secondary roads until the worst has passed. Full forecast details are available from the BBC Weather Centre.
We do not allow links of any sort in comments. No SPAM whatsoever. On topic comments only.