Storm Austen brings 70mph gusts as amber wind warning hits South West England

The Met Office issued an amber wind warning for Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of West Devon as Storm Austen, the first named storm of the 2026-27 season, swept in from the Atlantic, according to [1]. The warning was in force from 3am to 10am on Friday 23 October, with gusts forecast to reach 60 to 70mph in the worst-affected areas, according to [1]. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said the storm was expected to bring "a spell of impactful weather to parts of the UK from Thursday night and through Friday," adding that while there remained some uncertainty over the storm's exact track, there was "increasing confidence in the potential for disruptive winds across parts of southwest England, which is why an amber warning has been issued," according to [1]. He said wind gusts could reach 60-70mph combined with spells of heavy rain, and urged people in affected areas to keep up to date with forecasts as the event developed, according to [1]. Beyond the amber zone, the Met Office issued yellow wind warnings covering wider areas of England and Wales from midnight to 2pm on Friday, including Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, large parts of Wales and Herefordshire in the West Midlands, according to [1]. A separate yellow warning covered London and the South East, including Hampshire, Kent, Sussex, Portsmouth and Southampton, with the Kent coast area extended in a Met Office update on 21 October as confidence in the storm's track grew, according to [1]. Parts of southern and eastern Scotland, including Dumfries and Galloway, Lothian and Borders, and Strathclyde, were placed under a yellow rain warning from 6am on Friday to 3am Saturday, with the Met Office warning of persistent heavy rain, difficult driving conditions, local flooding and possible transport delays, according to [1]. The Met Office said the amber warning area could see longer journey times, road and rail closures, power cuts and building damage, with flying debris posing an injury risk and large waves threatening people near exposed shorelines, according to [1]. Disruption to transport was already being reported. CrossCountry services between Plymouth and Penzance were cancelled on 22 and 23 October, according to [1]. The Scillonian III sailing scheduled for Friday was also cancelled, with affected day-trip passengers offered refunds or transfers to Saturday, according to [1]. Wightlink was reported to be offering free date changes or full refunds for affected Isle of Wight services on Friday, according to [1]. Flights at airports including Exeter, Newquay and Bristol could also be affected, according to [1], which advised passengers to check flight status with airlines before travelling. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution urged people to take care around the coast as the storm approached, according to [1]. The storm was forming as an area of low pressure moved in from the Atlantic, strengthened by the jet stream, with the Met Office forecasting it would track across southern Britain late Thursday and into Friday, according to [1]. Travellers were advised to confirm cancellation and refund arrangements directly with operators, and to check the Met Office's warning map to establish whether their specific location fell within the amber area, according to [1].