Rain Warnings Issued as Storm Austen to Hit Ireland
Forecasters warn of 50-60 mph winds and heavy rain, with exposed coasts seeing gusts above 70 mph and travel disruption possible.
- The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for England and Wales on Friday as Storm Austen, the first named storm of the 2026/27 season, approaches from the Atlantic with heavy rain and strong winds.
- Partnering with the Irish Meteorological Service and KNMI, the Met Office named the system in honour of Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service, marking the 2026/27 season's inaugural selection.
- Widespread gusts of 50 to 60 mph are expected, potentially reaching 70 mph in exposed coastal locations, while heavy rainfall will accompany the storm with accumulations of 20 to 30 mm likely in many places.
- Met Office head of warnings and guidance Holly Clements said, "A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings," helping people prepare for anticipated disruptions including travel delays and power cuts.
- Austen moves into the North Sea later Friday, clearing briefly before a second, less intense system arrives Saturday bringing gusts of 70 to 80 mph to western Scotland, potentially delaying ferry services and closing bridges.
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Storm Austen has passed over the Netherlands. While the storm caused significant damage and massive power outages in neighboring countries, disruption in the Netherlands has remained relatively limited so far. Emergency services responded to fallen trees and broken branches throughout the country, but there has been no major destruction to date.
Up to 300,000 private homes have been dielectric, mainly in Normandy, Brittany, the Hauts-de-France, the Pays de la Loire and the Centre-Val de Loire. Storm Austen has also caused numerous disruptions in transport. France Télévisions takes stock.
Some 288.600 households in France have privatized the Austen storm suite. The regions of Brittany, Normandy and the Pays de la Loire have been the most affected, reports Le Figaro, citing the operator of the Enedis electrical network.The...
The expected autumn weather has caused only limited disruption in the Netherlands so far. In Limburg, the KNMI weather institute has issued a yellow alert due to severe wind gusts. These are expected starting this evening and will reach speeds of 75 to 90 kilometers per hour. The ANWB reports that the evening rush hour is very busy due to the stormy weather and heavy recreational traffic on the roads. There are currently 330 kilometers of traff…
Storm Austen has entered the Netherlands via the southwest. The fire brigade has already had to respond to storm damage in various locations across the country. In North Brabant and Limburg, for example, several roads have already been closed due to fallen trees. Follow all developments regarding Storm Austen in our live blog.
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