Storm Austen named as South West braces for 70mph gusts and heavy rain

The Met Office named Storm Austen on Tuesday, warning that gusts in excess of 70mph are possible on the most exposed coasts as an area of deepening low pressure moves in from the Atlantic, according to the North Devon Gazette [1]. It is the first named storm of the season. A yellow warning for wind has been issued for southern parts of England and south Wales on Friday, October 23, covering the risk of travel disruption, power cuts and injuries from flying debris, according to [1]. The Met Office also said 20-30mm of rain is expected in many places, with higher totals possible over higher ground in the west and further north on Friday. Tom Crabtree, the Met Office's Deputy Chief Forecaster, said the storm's exact path was still being worked out but that the risk was already clear enough to justify naming the system. "While the exact track and position of Storm Austen is still being determined, what's clear is that we have an impactful period of weather on the way and the potential for disruption in places, which has resulted in the system being named," he said, according to [1]. He added that peak gusts in excess of 70mph are possible on the most exposed coastal areas, with 50-60mph likely more widely within the warning area, and said warnings were under constant review and could be updated as confidence increases. According to the Met Office, cited in [1], the low-pressure system forming in the Atlantic is expected to "rapidly deepen" as it is invigorated by the jet stream. After spells of rain and showers on Tuesday and Wednesday, attention will shift to the South West late on Thursday as the storm begins its approach, before moving west to east through Friday with winds generally diminishing later in the day. UK Weather Chase, a group of storm chasers who monitor weather models, issued its own Storm Watch on Saturday October 17, three days before the Met Office named the storm, according to [1]. Sam Whitfield, a Field Weather Expert with the group, said signs of a developing system first appeared on Thursday October 15. "We first started seeing a trend towards a deep area of low pressure developing on Thursday last week," he said, adding that forecasts several days out must be treated with caution as track and intensity can change significantly. Whitfield said that by Saturday there was growing agreement among weather models on a significant low-pressure system approaching the UK, prompting the group's Storm Watch. Asked which parts of Devon and Cornwall looked most at risk, he said it was too early to give a firm answer, though he suggested Cornwall, particularly the west coast and other exposed areas, could see some of the most significant impacts. He said the risk to Devon would depend on how the system develops and moves. According to [1], a small shift in the storm's path could determine whether the South West experiences a blustery night or more widespread disruption, and forecasters say they will not know until nearer the time. Whitfield said coastal communities could be particularly vulnerable if high tides and large waves coincide with the strongest winds, raising the potential for overtopping on exposed coastlines. Great Western Railway and Network Rail have been contacted regarding their preparations for the storm, according to [1]; their responses had not been reported at the time of writing.