Met Office urges homes in 65 areas to keep mobile phones charged on Friday

Met Office urges homes in 65 areas to keep mobile phones charged on Friday Millions of Britons have been issued important advice. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments By Antonio Scancariello 21:05, Wed, Oct 21, 2026 Updated: 21:35, Wed, Oct 21, 2026 Met Office names Storm Austen set to batter UK on Friday The Met Office has issued a warning as Storm Austen approaches the UK with a spell of strong winds likely to cause disruption and possible power cuts in some areas this week. A yellow weather warrning for wind covering 39 areas is in place from midnight until 2pm on Friday that will see widespread winds of 50-60mph. Earlier today, the Met Office issued a rare amber warning and "danger to life" alert impacting Cornwall and parts of Devon from 3am until 10am on Friday, that could see strong winds hit 70mph and possibly even 80mph in exposed headlands. Elsewhere, a yellow weather warning for rain is in place for large parts of Scotland from 6am on Friday until 3am on Saturday. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: "Storm Austen is expected to bring a spell of impactful weather to parts of the UK from Thursday night and through Friday. While there remains some uncertainty in the exact track of the storm, there is increasing confidence in the potential for disruptive winds across parts of southwest England, which is why an Amber warning has been issued. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT "Winds gusts could potentially reach 60-70 mph for a time, and these strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain. People in affected areas should keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings as the event develops." In advice issued alongside the weather warnings , the Met Office says: "People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It's easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items." ⚠️⚠️ Amber weather warning ⚠️⚠️ Wind across Cornwall and parts of DevonFriday 0300 – 1000Latest info 👉 https://t.co/TfU9Ok8qZDStay #WeatherAware ⚠️ https://t.co/R1cixK9d1K — Met Office (@metoffice) October 21, 2026 Met Office names 38 areas to be battered by Storm Austen on Friday - full list Met Office urges homes in 38 areas to gather torches and batteries by Friday Brits are also urged to ensure mobile phones are charged so people can make calls in case of an emergency. Fridges and freezers should be closed, with a blanket over as they will stay cold for many hours. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT It is advised to switch off appliances - turning off items such as irons, ovens, electric fires and fryers as they could pose a hazard if the power comes back on when the person is not at home. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT For the amber weather warning covering Cornwall and parts of Devon on Friday, the Met Office says: "A spell of very strong northwesterly winds is likely on Friday morning. There is a good chance that gusts of 60-70mph will develop widely for a time with perhaps some gusts around 80mph for exposed headlands. "Very strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain. Remaining windy for the rest of Friday but winds will gradually ease." Get the day's biggest headlines in UK and World news and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Full list of 65 areas covered by weather warnings: London & South East England Brighton and Hove East Sussex Hampshire Isle of Wight Kent Portsmouth Southampton West Sussex South West England Bath and North East Somerset Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Bristol Cornwall Devon Dorset Gloucestershire Isles of Scilly North Somerset Plymouth Somerset South Gloucestershire Torbay Wiltshire Wales Blaenau Gwent Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Neath Port Talbot Newport Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon Taf Swansea Torfaen Vale of Glamorgan West Midlands Herefordshire Central, Tayside & Fife Angus Clackmannanshire Dundee Falkirk Fife Perth and Kinross Stirling Grampian Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Moray Strathclyde East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Renfrewshire Glasgow North Ayrshire North Lanarkshire Renfrewshire South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire West Dunbartonshire SW Scotland, Lothian Borders Dumfries and Galloway East Lothian Edinburgh Midlothian Council Scottish Borders West Lothian Met Office weather warnings UK weather Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Add us as preferred source Comments