Britain’s first named storm of the autumn will be stronger than previously thought when it sweeps across the country later this week.
Gusts from Storm Austen may reach 80 miles (129 kilometers) per hour in coastal areas, equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, according to the UK Met Office. That’s up from 70 mph expected previously.
The storm will bring damaging winds and heavy rain to Britain and northwest Europe late Thursday and into Friday. Wind warnings have been issued for southern parts of England and Wales, and a yellow rain warning is in place for much of Ireland. The Netherlands and northern coastal regions of Spain and France also face weather alerts.
High winds could snarl transportation and topple power lines, with inland gusts forecast at up to 60 miles an hour in the UK. They could also bring some relief to power markets by boosting wind energy output. Yet with that comes the risk of curtailment, when limited transmission capacity means wind farms are paid to reduce production during periods of strong generation.
Curtailments are possible across northwest Europe, including the UK and Ireland, said Andrew Pedrini, a meteorologist at Atmospheric G2.
Austen is forming from an area of low pressure near Newfoundland that’s come up against an unusually active jet stream. That’s allowing the storm to strengthen as it approaches western Europe, though its exact path remains unclear.
Some weather models point to a sharp drop in central air pressure known as “explosive cyclogenesis,” which can amplify a storm’s winds and rainfall. If that occurs, it would be a sign that Austen is a “rapidly intensifying, potent storm” with destructive potential, Pedrini said.
Another stormy low-pressure system is set to follow Austen this weekend, tracking across Scotland and pushing heavy rain and snow into the Nordic region. A ridge of high pressure will subsequently bring calmer, warmer conditions to much of Europe, according to weather models and analysis from meteorologists.
Photograph: Heavy clouds over New Brighton, UK, in December 2025; photo credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
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