UK weather live: Storm Austen warnings for 108 areas before Boelo brings 80mph winds

News UK News Met Office Met Office issues weather warning as Storm Austen approaches UK LIVE Updated 41 mins ago UK weather live: Storm Austen warnings for 108 areas before Boelo brings 80mph winds The Met Office has issued a 'danger to life' warning as parts of the country are bracing for 80mph winds this evening as Storm Austen makes landfall Add to preferred sources News Olivia Beeson UK & World News Reporter and Joe Smith News Reporter Updated 00:38, 23 Oct 2026 Brits are being warned of travel disruption, power cuts and potentially damaging winds as the first warnings for Storm Austen come into force this evening. A yellow wind warning covering south-west England, the south coast, parts of Wales and Herefordshire begins at 10pm tonight and runs until 5pm on Friday. Gusts of 50-60mph are likely, with 70mph or more possible in some coastal and exposed areas. The warning becomes more severe in parts of the South West overnight, with an amber alert covering Cornwall, Devon, the Isles of Scilly and Plymouth from 1am until 10am on Friday. Winds of 60-70mph are expected widely there, with gusts of around 80mph possible on exposed headlands. A second yellow warning then comes into force from 10am until 9pm on Friday, covering a much wider area across England and Wales, including London, the Midlands, the North West and parts of Yorkshire. Gusts of around 45-55mph are possible. The Met Office has warned of delays and cancellations to road, rail, air and ferry services, possible power cuts and building damage, while flying debris and large waves could pose a danger to life. ‌ New Updates Today 00:37 BST Rescue operation carried out for sinking yacht RNLI launched a rescue operation to save a sailor who was struggling in strong winds. The sailors yacht had run aground on Scarweather Sands and was flooding. Olivia Beeson Today 00:15 BST Drivers begin to face 'horrendous conditions' Drivers have started to face 'horrendous conditions' in the South West as the county is set to be battered by strong winds and torrential rains. The Met Office said Storm Austen is “likely to bring some disruption and possible damaging winds” and warned of disruption on the roads and public transport networks. Drivers have been urged to take care when travelling in stormy conditions, with the forecaster warning "if it’s time for your wipers, it’s time to slow down". Content cannot be displayed without consent Olivia Beeson Today 00:10 BST Brits urged to check in on vulnerable people through storm Garth Smith, head of resilience at the British Red Cross, has encouraged the public to take steps to protect themselves, their families and their homes. He said: “We have practical advice that can make a real difference – from checking in with people who may be more vulnerable, securing loose items in your garden to checking windows and doors, and making an evacuation plan for your household, including pets. “We also urge people to keep an eye on local weather reports and guidance from local authorities.” Olivia Beeson 22nd Oct 23:59 BST How many weather warnings are in place? The first yellow warning, which comes into force at midnight and remains in place until 5pm tomorrow, covers mainly Wales and south-west England. The second yellow warning, which runs from 10am to 9pm tomorrow, covers a wider area of England. An amber warning covering south-west England is in place from 1am to 10am tomorrow. Gusts of 60 to 70mph are likely, potentially reaching 80mph over exposed headlands. Olivia Beeson 22nd Oct 23:48 BST Railway implements speed restriction due to storm ScotRail has implemeted speed restrictions for Friday due to the Met Office weather warning for heavy rain. The rail provider said it "has implemented speed restrictions across parts of the railway, meaning a revised timetable will be in place across some routes tomorrow. " These restrictions are being introduced to allow trains to operate safely during the forecast weather conditions." Olivia Beeson 22nd Oct 22:59 BST Danger of life warning in South West According to the Met Office there is a risk of "injuries and danger to life... from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties" in the South West, where an amber warning will be in place. The impacted areas include: Cornwall Devon Isles of Scilly Plymouth Olivia Beeson 22nd Oct 22:46 BST Satellite image shows storm building Satellite imagery shows the storm building as winds are due to pick up overnight. Content cannot be displayed without consent Joe Smith 22nd Oct 22:32 BST What do the next few days look like? Windy. Tonight’s weather warning is just the start, there are yellow and amber alerts in place on each remaining day of this week. Thursday A yellow warning for wind beginning at 10pm and lasting until 5pm on Friday covers the South West and the southern coast of England along with parts of Wales. Friday On Friday the previous weather warning is joined by two others, a second yellow warning for wind starting at 10am and running until 9pm and covering the rest of Wales and a swathe of England from Blackpool to Norwich. Meanwhile a more serious amber alert for wind runs from 1am to 10am and covers the south western tip of the UK as far inland as Plymouth on the south coast and Ilfracombe on the north. Saturday On Saturday the warnings move northwards with a yellow warning for wind covering Northern Ireland from 6pm until 3pm on Sunday while a second warning covers Scotland and northern England from 3pm until 9pm on Sunday. Sunday The two warnings for wind for Northern Ireland and Scotland and northern England continue into today, until 3pm and 9pm respectively. Content cannot be displayed without consent Joe Smith 22nd Oct 22:21 BST How to stay safe tonight The Met Office has published the following guidance for people caught in the path of tonight's extreme weather. "Prepare to protect your property and people from injury," the warning states. Prople are urged to check for loose items outside homes and secure them. Items that might need looking at include: bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences. Getting ready for power cuts ahead of time is also being advised by the forcaster. "Consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items," the Met Office said. "If you are on the coast, stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves. Even from the shore large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea. Take care if walking near cliffs; know your route and keep dogs on a lead. In an emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard." Joe Smith 22nd Oct 22:15 BST What should you expect? The Met Office has said the following impacts can be expected from the winds battering the UK tonight and tomorrow. Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. Some roads and bridges may close. Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage. Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen. Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible. Injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties. The are covered by tonight's warnnig (Image: Met Office) Joe Smith 22nd Oct 22:09 BST 'Disruption to travel is likely' - Met Office Brits have been warned that the strong winds forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning could cause travel disruptions. The current yellow warning says road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. People are advised to check road conditions if driving, or bus and train timetables, amending your travel plans if necessary. Content cannot be displayed without consent Joe Smith 22nd Oct 22:05 BST First warning comes into force A Met Office yellow weather warning for wind came into force at 10pm tonight, the first of a string of weather warnings set to last until Sunday. This first warning will see "strong west to northwesterly winds will spread across southern parts of England and Wales during Thursday night and into Friday,” the Met Office said. “Gusts of 50-60 mph are likely and some coastal or exposed areas could see 70 mph or more, this more likely over parts of southwest England. “Ahead of this, a spell of southerly winds with gusts of 50-60 mph will move east along the south coast of England during Thursday night. Winds will slowly ease during Friday afternoon.” The Met Office says El Nino could bring stormy weather to the UK in Autumn and early Winter (Image: PA) Joe Smith 22nd Oct 22:00 BST Storm Austen warning covers 41 areas as 70mph gusts possible A yellow wind warning for Storm Austen covers 41 local authority areas across southern England, Wales and Herefordshire. The Met Office says gusts of 50-60mph are likely, with some coastal and exposed areas potentially seeing 70mph or more. Travel disruption, power cuts and damage to buildings are possible, while flying debris and large waves could also pose a danger. Berk Uyal Follow Daily Mirror: Facebook X (Twitter) TikTok Instagram Snapchat ‌ ‌ ‌ Today 00:37 BST Rescue operation carried out for sinking yacht RNLI launched a rescue operation to save a sailor who was struggling in strong winds. The sailors yacht had run aground on Scarweather Sands and was flooding. Olivia Beeson Today 00:15 BST Drivers begin to face 'horrendous conditions' Drivers have started to face 'horrendous conditions' in the South West as the county is set to be battered by strong winds and torrential rains. The Met Office said Storm Austen is “likely to bring some disruption and possible damaging winds” and warned of disruption on the roads and public transport networks. Drivers have been urged to take care when travelling in stormy conditions, with the forecaster warning "if it’s time for your wipers, it’s time to slow down". Content cannot be displayed without consent Olivia Beeson Today 00:10 BST Brits urged to check in on vulnerable people through storm Garth Smith, head of resilience at the British Red Cross, has encouraged the public to take steps to protect themselves, their families and their homes. He said: “We have practical advice that can make a real difference – from checking in with people who may be more vulnerable, securing loose items in your garden to checking windows and doors, and making an evacuation plan for your household, including pets. “We also urge people to keep an eye on local weather reports and guidance from local authorities.” Olivia Beeson 22nd Oct 23:59 BST How many weather warnings are in place? The first yellow warning, which comes into force at midnight and remains in place until 5pm tomorrow, covers mainly Wales and south-west England. The second yellow warning, which runs from 10am to 9pm tomorrow, covers a wider area of England. An amber warning covering south-west England is in place from 1am to 10am tomorrow. Gusts of 60 to 70mph are likely, potentially reaching 80mph over exposed headlands. Olivia Beeson 22nd Oct 23:48 BST Railway implements speed restriction due to storm ScotRail has implemeted speed restrictions for Friday due to the Met Office weather warning for heavy rain. The rail provider said it "has implemented speed restrictions across parts of the railway, meaning a revised timetable will be in place across some routes tomorrow. " These restrictions are being introduced to allow trains to operate safely during the forecast weather conditions." Olivia Beeson 22nd Oct 22:59 BST Danger of life warning in South West According to the Met Office there is a risk of "injuries and danger to life... from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties" in the South West, where an amber warning will be in