An amber weather warning has come into force in parts of the UK as Storm Austen, the first named storm of the 2026-27 season, brings powerful winds and heavy rain across the country on Friday, BBC News reported.

Source: BBC News

The Met Office amber wind warning covers Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of Devon including Plymouth from 03:00 to 10:00 on Friday, with gusts of 60-70mph widely and up to 80mph in exposed coastal locations. The forecaster warns there is a good chance of power cuts, some building damage, and danger to life from large waves and beach material thrown onto coastal roads and sea fronts.

Schools shut, ferries cancelled

A number of schools are closed in the impacted areas, with many others opening later than usual to avoid the strongest winds, and all schools in Jersey have been told to close on Friday. Ferry sailings have been cancelled, including crossings between Pembrokeshire and Ireland, and train cancellations and speed restrictions are possible as fallen trees and debris threaten rail lines.

Wider yellow wind warnings cover most of England and Wales through Friday, with gusts of 45-60mph and 70mph likely in some places, while a separate yellow warning covers part of Scotland including Glasgow and Edinburgh from 06:00. The most damaging winds are expected south of the storm's centre, putting north-west France in the firing line — parts of Brittany could see gusts close to 90mph — and the Channel Islands are expecting severe gales up to 80mph.

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said Storm Austen was expected to bring "a spell of impactful weather" to parts of the UK from Thursday night through Friday, adding that while some uncertainty remained over the storm's exact track, confidence was increasing in disruptive winds across the south-west.

The same storm system has already battered southern France, where flooding killed three people earlier this week. Read: Three dead in southern France floods as Storm Austen crossed the region