The Independent, on Climate, 23 October 2026

The Independent reports Storm Austen's 80mph winds, heavy rain and a "danger to life" warning, and prints a list of Cornwall school closures, but never once tells its reader that warming is making storm rainfall and wind extremes more severe. Its list also names as late openers two schools the council had confirmed as closed for the day, as reported the same morning elsewhere.

6.0

Serious

out of 10

What we found

  1. Leaves out the climate link

    Serious

    “Storm Austen batters the UK with winds reaching 80mph and heavy rain”

    What the words do
    The Independent opens with 80mph winds and heavy rain and treats the storm as plain weather news, with no word anywhere in the piece about a warming climate.
    What a reader comes away believing
    A reader comes away thinking this is ordinary autumn weather with no connection to climate change.
    What is actually the case
    Human-caused warming has made heavy rainfall and other weather extremes more frequent or more severe, and the article never carries that line; the words climate and warming do not appear.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“heavy rain and strong winds across the country”
    • Checked against the whole articleIt never uses the words “climate” and “warming”.
    • On the recordThat warming has made hot extremes, heavy rainfall, agricultural and ecological drought, fire weather and intense tropical cyclones more frequent or more severe.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)

    Show it in the article

    “a “danger to life” warning along sea fronts and coastal roads due to large waves and thrown beach debris”

    What the words do
    The article reports a danger to life warning and large waves, the sharpest harm in the piece, and still gives the reader nothing on why such storms are getting worse.
    What a reader comes away believing
    A reader takes the danger as a one-off weather risk unrelated to a warming planet.
    What is actually the case
    The documented record is that warming makes heavy rainfall and storm extremes more severe; the piece carries a second storm warning the next day and still never says it.

    How we know

    • Elsewhere in the article“a yellow weather warning for wind”
    • Checked against the whole articleIt never uses the words “warming”.
    • On the recordThat warming has made hot extremes, heavy rainfall, agricultural and ecological drought, fire weather and intense tropical cyclones more frequent or more severe.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)

    Show it in the article

    Written straight

    Storm Austen is bringing 80mph winds, heavy rain and a "danger to life" warning on the coast, with a second storm due on Saturday. Warming is making heavy rainfall and storm extremes more severe.

  2. List contradicts the council's confirmed closures

    Minor

    “Mawnan School - opening late at 10:30am”

    What the words do
    The Independent lists Mawnan School as a late opener in its "full list".
    What a reader comes away believing
    A parent at Mawnan School believes the school is opening at 10:30am and sets off with their child.
    What is actually the case
    Cornwall Council confirmed Mawnan School as one of ten schools that would not open at all, as reported in coverage published six minutes before this article.

    How we know

    Show it in the article

    “Restormel AP Academy - opening late at 10:30am”

    What the words do
    A second school the council listed as shut appears in the Independent's list as opening late.
    What a reader comes away believing
    A reader takes the list as an accurate record of which Cornwall schools are shut and which are merely delayed.
    What is actually the case
    The council's confirmed list of schools closed for the day, as published in the same morning's coverage, includes Restormel AP Academy.

    Show it in the article

Every underline is part of a finding. Press one to see why.

Full list of school closures as Storm Austen batters Britain

Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Schools have been forced to close or open late today as . Forecasters issued three weather warnings for wind on Friday and . An Amber warning for wind is in place across Cornwall and parts of Devon today until 10am. More than 6,000 homes in Cornwall have been left without power, according to the National Grid and several roads in the county have been closed due to fallen trees and flooding. An Amber warning for wind is in place across Cornwall and parts of Devon today until 10am ( PA ) The Met Office has also warned Storm Boelo is set to bring heavy rain and strong winds across the country on Saturday. The strongest winds will be across Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England and a yellow weather warning for wind is in place from 6pm on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday. More than 80 schools in Cornwall have been closed or will open later due to the storm and all the schools in Jersey and Guernsey will be closed for the day. On the Cornwall council website it says: "Some schools have confirmed late openings or closures for Friday, October 23 due to Storm Austen. Parents and carers should check messages from their child’s school or its website for the latest information before travelling." But parents and carers in other areas are also urged to check council websites for school closures this morning. The Full list of schools closing due to the storm: Cornwall Archbishop Benson School - opening late at 10:30am Bishop Bronescombe School - opening late at 10:30am Beacon Academy - closed Boskenwyn School - opening at 11am Burraton CP School - opening as normal but registration extended until 10am Camborne Nursery School - opening late at 11am Camborne Science and International Academy - opening late at 11am Caradon Academy - opening late at 10:30am Carbeile Junior School - opening as usual with option to drop children in later if necessary Connor Downs Academy - opening late at 11am Constantine Primary School - opening late at 10.30am Coverack Primary School - opening late at 10:30am Cubert School - opening as normal but registration extended until 10am Cusgarne School - opening at 11am Delabole School - opening at 10.30am Falmouth Primary Academy - opening late at 10.30am Flushing School - opening late at 10am Fourlanesend Community Primary School - opening as usual with option to drop children in later if necessary Germoe School - opening late at 11am Grade Ruan Primary School - late opening at 10:30am Grampound Road C of E School - opening late at 10:30am Grampound with Creed C of E School - opening late at 10.30am Gwinear School - opening late at 10am Heamoor CP School - opening late at 10:30am Illogan School - opening late at 10am Indian Queens Primary School and Nursery - opening late at 10:30am Kea Preschool - opening late at 10am King Charles CofE Primary School - opening late at 10.30am Ladock School - opening late at 10:30am Lanner School - opening as normal but registration extended until 10:30am Mabe Primary School - opening at 10.30am Madron Daniel C of E School - late opening at 10:30am Magda's Childcare, Redruth - opening at 10am Manaccan Primary School & Nursery - opening late at 10:30am Mawgan-in-Pydar Primary School - opening late at 10:30am Mount Hawke Academy - opening late at 11am Mylor Bridge CP School - opening late at 10:30am Nansledan School - opening late at 10:30am Nansloe Academy -opening late at 10:30am Nine Maidens AP Academy - closed North Cornwall Alternative Provision Academy - opening late at 10:30am Padstow School - opening late at 10:30am Pencalenick School - opening late at 10.30am Pennoweth School - opening late at 10am Penponds CP School - opening late at 10:30am Penryn Primary Academy - late opening at 10:30am Penwith Alternative Provision Academy - late opening at 10am Perran-ar-Worthal School - opening late at 10am Pool Academy - opening late at 11am Probus School - opening late at 10.30am Redruth School - opening late at 10:15am Richard Lander School - opening late at 11am Shortlanesend School - opening late at 10:30am St Agnes Academy - opening late at 10.30am St Day and Carharrack Primary School - opening late at 10:15am St Erme with Trispen School - opening late at 10:30am St Francis CofE Primary School - opening late at 10.30am St Ives Infant School - opening late at 10:30am St Keverne Primary School - opening late at 10:30am St Levan Primary School - closed St Mary's C of E Penzance - opening late at 10:30am St Mawes Primary School - opening late at 11am St Meriadoc Infant and Nursery Academy - opening late at 10:30am St Meriadoc Junior School - opening late at 10:30am St Michael's CE - opening late at 11am St Stephen Churchtown Academy - opening late at 10.15am with registers closing at 10.30am Stratton Primary School - opening late at 10:30am Summercourt Academy - opening late at 10:30am The Crypt Pre-School, Falmouth - opening late at 10.30am Tintagel School - opening late at 10.30am Trannack Primary School - opening late at 10am Tregolls Academy - opening late at 10:30am Treleigh School - opening as normal but registration extended until 10:30am Treverbyn Academy - opening late 10:30am Trevithick Learning Academy - opening late at 10:30am Troon CP School - opening late at 10:30am Truro Nursery School - opening late at 11am Veryan School - opening late at 10:30am Weeth Primary School - opening late at 10am Whitemoor Academy - opening late at 10am Whitstone Community Primary School - opening late at 11am

Read the original article on independent.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

How other outlets reported it

Spot something we missed? Report this article

More from The Independent

  1. 23 OctMapped: The European countries with the most heat-related deaths in 20263.0
  2. 23 OctUK faces ‘winter of greater flooding’, Burnham warns amid severe weather6.0
  3. 23 OctUN climate fund promises $20 million for Nepal flood recovery, far short of billions needed0.0
  4. 23 OctWorld’s oldest cave paintings under threat as wildfires rage across Indonesia6.0
  5. 23 OctExperts reveal the ideal thermostat temperature to keep your home warm and slash heating bills6.0

Everything we scored from The Independent