Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, tore through the South West and the Channel Islands on Friday, cutting power to thousands of homes, halting trains and closing schools across the region.
The Met Office issued a red weather warning for wind for the Channel Islands, and gusts of 84mph were recorded at Jersey Airport shortly before 06:00 BST, according to the BBC's report on the storm. Winds of 76mph were logged in the Isles of Scilly.
Power cuts, fallen trees and closed schools
At its peak, more than 13,000 properties in Cornwall were affected by power cuts. Cornwall's highway teams responded to about 250 emergencies, 150 of them reports of fallen trees, with similar trouble across Devon.
All schools in Jersey and Guernsey shut for the day, while schools in Cornwall either opened late or closed altogether. The BBC Weather service reported yellow warnings covering the south west of England as the storm moved through on Friday.
Great Western Railway cancelled multiple services, including trains between Penzance and Taunton, and several lines were blocked by debris. Flights were also cancelled.
Storm Boelo follows close behind
Britons hoping for a reprieve will be disappointed. The Met Office's deep dive on Storm Austen notes that unsettled weather is developing around the world, and Storm Boelo is already hard on Austen's heels.
Wet and windy conditions are expected to continue across the UK on Saturday, with alerts in place for Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England. Businesses and attractions across the South West will stay shut over the weekend, and visitors have been urged to check their plans before travelling.
The damage has not been confined to the far South West. The Telegraph reported that part of Brighton's West Pier collapsed in the high winds, a melancholy blow to one of the country's most recognizable seaside landmarks.
Communities cope as best they can
Renouard Le Maistre, of Jonathan Le Maistre Tree Surgery, described a frantic morning clearing roads and removing trees that had fallen on power lines.
“Calls keep coming in and we're keeping busy,” he said. “Hopefully not too much [damage] and hopefully we can retain some trees. We're just thinning out the dangerous ones currently and getting through it.”
James Spiers, who began walking the coastal path in June, abandoned his tent for a hostel in Perranporth. “I didn't want to risk damaging the tent,” he said. “If this winter ends like last winter it could just be persistent rain and storms... I need to be doing a lot more forward planning now for the winter.”
Dan Heath, manager of the Turning Tides Project in Crediton, Devon, was caught out by the train cancellations.
“A lot of people don't have access to cars or can't access the bus so they access the train,” he said.
In Guernsey, the animal rescue charity GSPCA lost its phone and internet service when one of its own trees came down on the line.
“Nobody is hurt but it's causing us a lot of extra work here at the GSPCA,” said its manager, Steve Byrne.
A familiar pattern, and a warning for winter
There is something drearily familiar about all this. Last winter brought storm after storm to these shores, and the country coped, as it always has, through plain good sense: councils clearing roads, tree surgeons working through the calls, neighbours checking on those without power. The Met Office's chief forecaster, Neil Armstrong, told The Standard that this was the first stormy weather in the south of the UK this season and that some disruption was expected as it moved through.
Disruption there has been, and Wales has not been spared either. Wales Online reported thousands of homes without power as winds officially hit 70mph there.
The practical lesson is an old British one: batten down what can be battened down, check on the vulnerable, and do not take the coastal path in an 84mph gust. The season has only just begun.
FAQ
What is Storm Austen?
Storm Austen is the first named storm of the 2026-27 season, which struck the South West of England and the Channel Islands on Friday, 23 October, bringing gusts of up to 84mph.
How many homes lost power during Storm Austen?
More than 13,000 properties in Cornwall were affected by power cuts at the storm's peak, with further outages reported in Wales.
Is more bad weather expected after Storm Austen?
Yes. Storm Boelo follows immediately, with wet and windy weather forecast across the UK on Saturday and alerts in place for Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England.
Which areas were worst hit?
The Channel Islands received a red weather warning for wind, while Cornwall, Devon, the Isles of Scilly and parts of Wales suffered power cuts, fallen trees and travel disruption.