Britain's first storm of the season named

Britain's first named storm of the season is due to hit large parts of the country later this week.

The Met Office said today that Storm Austen will arrive in the UK on Friday with a yellow weather warning for high winds expected to come into force from noon to midnight on that day. Severe gales and heavy rain are forecast, especially for western regions.

Bands of rain are expected to move through the country from as early as Wednesday, bringing very windy conditions and coastal gales. The conditions could lead to travel disruption, power cuts, and potential injuries from falling debris, the Met Office has warned.

The yellow warning will cover south Wales, south-west England and southern coastal counties of England. Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to largely miss many of the impacts caused by Storm Austen.

Temperatures look to be around average this week.

Met Office deputy chief forecaster Tom Crabtree said: "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.

"Peak gusts in excess of 70mph are possible on the most exposed coastal areas, while 50-60mph are likely more widely within the warning area.

"Weather warnings are under constant review and could be updated as confidence increases, so it's important to stay up-to-date with the forecast in the coming days."

Storm Austen will move from the west to the east through Friday, with winds expected to weaken later in the day.

Further wind and rain is likely over the weekend and into next week, with the heaviest downpours expected in western areas.

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Sky News' weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "Devon and Cornwall are likely to see the strongest winds.

"There is still some uncertainty on the exact track and depth of this storm, so warnings are likely to change as details become clearer.

"Once Storm Austen clears away, another deep area of low pressure near Iceland will bring strong winds to northern parts of the UK this weekend."

(c) Sky News 2026: Britain's first storm of the season named