Summary

  • This live page is now closed, but you can read more in our news story

  • Storm Austen is causing widespread travel disruption, with strong winds and heavy rain reported across the UK

  • Trains are being hit by cancellations and delays due to strong winds and fallen trees - here's a rundown of the disruption

  • National Grid says it has restored power to more than 60,000 homes, but hundreds are still without power in parts of England and Wales

  • Millions remain under yellow weather warnings for wind and rain, with a second storm, named Boelo, expected to hit the UK on Saturday

  • One man tells us he was evacuated from a motorway service station near Bicester after it was hit by a power cut, while Sara Gatland in Guernsey says her flight home to Edinburgh was cancelled due to the stormy weather

  • Rail lines will close from 21:00 in part of Scotland on Saturday, according to Network Rail, while people are being advised to avoid all travel unless necessary

Are you affected by the storm?

  1. Tree clear-up begins in Jerseypublished at 10:53 BST 23 October

    According to the Government of Jersey's Infrastructure and Environment Department, there have been 91 incidents involving trees, 13 water-related, five debris, one building damage and one infrastructure damage reported as of 10:00 BST.

    Tristen Dodd, Jersey's head of transport, highways and infrastucture, says it is starting to get "much busier".

    He says earlier this morning there were about 20 incidents reported to his team.

    "We have got road gullies blocked by leaves that have come off the trees, and additional to that we have got some debris that have gone on to the road here and there that we need to take up," he says.

    "Quite often on these type of events you do get one geographical area that's been more vulnerable than others but looking at the map today, it's pretty well distributed across the island."

    Tree down near First Tower in Jersey
  2. More than 13,500 homes now affected by power cuts in Cornwallpublished at 10:49 BST 23 October
    Breaking

    There are curently 13,547 homes and businesses at 42 places across Cornwall without electricity according to the National Grid, external, with 28 in the west of the county.

    The total includes 4,617 vulnerable customers.

    Engineers are working hard to restore power, it said.

  3. Tree blocking platform in West Sussexpublished at 10:47 BST 23 October

    Joshua Askew
    BBC South East

    A tree has fallen onto a train platform in West Sussex, according to Southern Railway.

    It said that no-one was injured, though the incident at Angmering Station disrupted services between the village and Worthing earlier on Friday.

    "Our trains are going at a slightly slower speed when passing the tree, however services are still running as normal," a spokesperson said.

    "I can’t confirm exactly when the tree will be removed from the platform, however our teams are working hard to complete this as soon as possible."

  4. 'Blowy and wet' in Devonpublished at 10:43 BST 23 October

    Angela Kalwaites
    BBC Radio Devon, reporting from Bideford Quay

    I'm at Bideford Quay looking across at the brown, churned-up water with a couple of boats bobbing about.

    I've just watched a lady standing at a bus shelter with her umbrella - it was going well for about five minutes, but then it turned inside out.

    She fought it and got it facing the right way again but then it did it again and all the spokes are pointing up in various different directions.

    At the same time, as I was smiling at this, my hood detached itself from my coat so it is pretty blowy and wet.

    Traffic heading into Bideford is gridlocked but there's not many people walking out and about.

    It's that lovely Devon rain that comes in at you sideways.

    Bideford Quay
  5. Land's End Airport flights to Isles of Scilly delayedpublished at 10:38 BST 23 October

    The first flight from Land's End Airport to St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly is scheduled for 14:05 BST, instead of the usual 10:15.

  6. Yellow weather warning for wind extended to cover northern Englandpublished at 10:36 BST 23 October

    A yellow weather warning for wind on Saturday has been extended to cover large parts of northern England.

    The warning, which previously stopped at the Lothian and Borders in Scotland, now covers the north west and north east of England, including Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield and Hull.

    It will be in effect from 12:00 BST tomorrow until 21:00.

    The Met Office warns people to expect possible "injuries and danger to life from flying debris" and large waves, damage to buildings and trees, travel disruption, and power cuts.

    A separate yellow weather warning for wind will also come into effect in northern Ireland from 10:00 to 12:00 BST on Saturday.

    A Met Office map of the UK, showing a yellow weather warning for wind in northern Ireland, parts of northern England and Scotland. An amber warning for wind overlaps the yellow the graphic in northern ScotlandImage source, Met Office
  7. Guernsey animal rescue charity's aviaries damagedpublished at 10:29 BST 23 October

    Guernsey-based animal rescue charity GSPCA said it is having phone and internet issues due to damage caused by Storm Austen.

    Steve Byrne, GSPCA's manager, tells BBC Radio Guernsey: "About 6am I had a wander about and we've had one of our trees come down on our internet line."

    He says the emergency line is still working.

    "We've had a bit of other damage to some of the aviaries that were empty, no animals have been harmed but two of the small aviaries have gone over which Guernsey Raiders only helped put back up a couple of months ago," Byrne adds.

    "Nobody is hurt but it's causing us a lot of extra work here at the GSPCA."

    A damaged aviary cage showing a collapsed top half in a grass fieldImage source, Josh Day/BBC
  8. Wet and windy for the rest of Fridaypublished at 10:26 BST 23 October

    Stav Danaos
    BBC Weather

    The amber wind warning for south-west England has now been lifted, but yellow wind warnings remain in force across much of England and Wales for the rest of the day.

    Spells of rain will continue to spread north and east, with gusts of 40–50mph (65-80km/h) developing across many areas, potentially higher in exposed locations. The strongest winds should gradually ease across the south-west through the afternoon, although coastal gales will persist.

    Scotland will remain cloudy and wet, with some heavy and persistent rain possible across central, southern and eastern areas.

    Accumulations could be significant in parts of the Grampians and south-eastern Highlands, while the west should turn drier later this afternoon.

    Northern Ireland will brighten up after a wet start, with sunny spells developing and a few showers following. It’ll be a chilly day overall, with temperatures reaching 8–11C (46-51F) across northern parts of the UK and 10–13C (50-55F) further south.

  9. Amber warning issued for Storm Boelo across parts of the UKpublished at 10:16 BST 23 October
    Breaking

    Matt Taylor
    BBC Weather

    The Met Office has just issued an amber warning for winds linked to Storm Boelo for Saturday and Sunday, across much of Scotland, and parts of Northern Ireland and north-west England.

    The warning runs from 21:00 BST on Saturday until 21:00 GMT on Sunday.

    A map showing amber weather warningImage source, Met Office
  10. 'Storm Austen has well and truly hit the Channel Islands'published at 10:13 BST 23 October

    Olivia Fraser
    BBC Guernsey

    We're sheltered in the north of the island at the moment with waves crashing in from the sea.

    We have heard reports of debris in the roads, trees down, phone power lines out and we've heard there's some power out in Jersey as well.

    While this storm doesn't coincide with high tides like it did for Storm Goretti, there are concerns that this is happening during peak travel time when people would normally be out and about.

    The roads are eerily quiet at the moment.

    We don't have the full picture of what the damage is like yet and probably won't for another few hours until the island presses play again on life and we can see the big picture.

    People are advised to stay safe and monitor the situation.

  11. Storm hits north and west France, leaving homes without powerpublished at 10:09 BST 23 October

    Paul Kirby
    Europe digital editor

    A man cuts branches from a fallen tree in Plomeur, western France, on October 23, 2026 as Storm Austen hits the coasts of FranceImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    Winds of up to 140kmh (87mph) are forecast in coastal areas of France

    Coastal areas of Brittany and Normandy have been hit hardest in France, but Storm Austen has caused widespread disruption inland too.

    This morning 161,000 homes were without power, according to energy provider Enedis, most of them in Brittany. Residents in the Finistère area have seen severe damage to roofs and trees blocking roads.

    Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot has warned of severe transport problems in Normandy and Brittany, as well as further inland in the Hauts-de-France and Île-de-France regions.

    A number of flights have been cancelled at Nantes airport in the north west, while the iconic Pont de Normandie over the River Seine, linking Le Havre to Normandy, is one of several bridges that have been closed.

    Météo-France has declared an orange alert in 23 of the 96 departments in mainland France, with gusts of up to 130/140kmh (80-87mph) on the coast and 110-110kmh inland.

  12. In pictures: Storm Austen across the South West and Channel Islandspublished at 10:02 BST 23 October

    Here are some pictures captured during Storm Austen from across the South West and Channel Islands.

    Yellow buoy washed up in TeignmouthImage source, Shane Ibbs
    Image caption,

    Choppy waves and a washed-up yellow buoy in Teignmouth

    Storm damaged sign on the A390 in Truro
    Image caption,

    There was storm damage to a sign on the A390 in Truro

    Tree down on Five Mile Road in Jersey
    Image caption,

    A tree was down and blocking Five Mile Road in Jersey

    Castle Quay, Guernsey
    Image caption,

    Choppy waves and grey skies at Castle Quay, Guernsey

    The Lizard during Storm AustenImage source, Weather Watchers/Ian D
    Image caption,

    The sea looking very ominous from The Lizard in Cornwall

    Chagford during Storm AustenImage source, Weather Watchers/Chagfordian
    Image caption,

    Raindrops running down a window pane in Chagford

  13. Second yellow wind warning comes into effectpublished at 10:00 BST 23 October

    A second yellow wind warning from the Met Office has come into force with gusts of up to 55mph (89km/h).

    It covers areas of the East Midlands, East of England, London, south-east England, north-west England, south-west England and Wales.

    It is due to be in place until 21:00 BST.

    "A spell of strong winds, touching gales at times, associated with Storm Austen may bring some localised impacts," the Met Office says.

    Wind warningImage source, Met Office
  14. Fresh weather warning to come into forcepublished at 09:55 BST 23 October

    A fresh weather warning is due to come into force at 10:00 BST, as Storm Austen continues its journey across the UK, ahead of Storm Boelo over the weekend.

    Here's what you need to know:

    Storm AustenImage source, Reuters
  15. Golf course loses trees for second timepublished at 09:49 BST 23 October

    Truro Golf Club in Cornwall says it has lost trees for the second time this year, due to storms.

    Staff at the club are waiting to inspect the damage.

    Head green keeper Dominic Gibbard said Storm Austen had "definitely left its mark on the course again".

    He said about 10 to 15 trees had blown down with "multiple snapped branches" across the course.

    "Damage is widespread but not as significant as Storm Goretti," he added.

    A pine tree is lying on its side on the ground and its roots are exposed and part of the green has come up too.Image source, Dominic Gibbard/ Truro Golf Club
  16. Wind speed of 84mph recorded at Jersey Airportpublished at 09:35 BST 23 October

    The Government of Jersey's Infrastructure and Environment Department says a gust measuring 84mph (135km/h) was recorded at the island's airport just before 06:00 BST.

    "We could continue to see wind speeds at this level or a little higher for the next two to three hours," it says.

    The department adds its teams will start clearing roads around the island when safe to do so.

    "Trees and debris continue to come down and block roads," it says.

    Jersey Airport in the distance
  17. Alderney Airport closed until middaypublished at 09:24 BST 23 October

    Alderney Airport says flights will not be operating and the site will be closed until 12:00 BST.

    It says it expects services to resume during the afternoon.

    "Severe weather events pose particular challenges for air travel, but our priority first and foremost is the safety of both the travelling public and our own staff," airport bosses say.

    "Working with our airline partners and other stakeholders, we have put arrangements in place that will keep everyone safe, minimise disruption, and ensure operations return to normal as quickly as possible."

    Alderney Airport
  18. Properties in south-west Wales without powerpublished at 09:20 BST 23 October

    Richard Porter
    BBC Wales

    About a thousand properties in south-west Wales have lost power this morning, according to National Grid.

    Most are expected to have power back by 10:00 BST.

    Some ferries to Ireland from Wales have been cancelled, and Transport for Wales has made some pre-planned train cancellations and replacements with buses.

  19. 'Slab of white water' in Portreathpublished at 09:16 BST 23 October

    Hannah Stacey
    BBC Radio Cornwall, reporting from Portreath

    The sea is stormy at Portreath with large waves visible.Image source, Hannah Stacey/BBC

    It’s blowing hard in Portreath but quiet. There are not many people to be seen, hardly any lights on, and the sea is a slab of white water crashing in towards the shoreline.

    It’s about mid-tide and the tide's receding.

    The waves are crashing over the base of Gull Rock.

  20. 'It was just mad last night'published at 09:13 BST 23 October

    Sue Horsepool-Garau, who lives in Cobo on the west coast of Guernsey, says it was "very blustery" overnight.

    She says she struggled to open windows at her home due to the strength of the winds from Storm Austen.

    "It was just mad last night," she tells BBC Radio Guernsey.

    "You could just hear things banging around.

    "Living on the west coast in the summer it's beautiful so you have to take the good with the bad.

    "There's nothing but us that stops the wind coming through so it can be quite breezy."