Storm Austen leaves thousands without power in southwest England as second storm nears
Storm Austen has cut power to more than 15,000 homes in southwest England, while strong winds have cancelled flights and disrupted trains and ferries. A further storm is expected to bring another period of severe weather.
By DoomRadar · Published on DoomRadar . Updated .
Places in the report
Countries named in the cited reporting. Highlighting does not show the area affected. Map: Natural Earth.
How the effects could reach youConditional effects
Event date: Storm Austen affected southwest England on Friday, with an amber wind warning in place from Saturday into Sunday. [1]
What happened
Storm Austen, described as the first named storm of the season, brought severe conditions to parts of southwest England. A gust of 76mph was recorded at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly on Friday morning. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Travel chaos and tens of thousands without power as Brits brace for second stormlbc.co.uk · Recorded source date: Oct 24, 2026, 12:02 AM UTC
More than 15,000 homes remained without power as Austen continued to affect the region. National Grid said more than 31,000 homes in the southwest had been without power earlier on Friday. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Travel chaos and tens of thousands without power as Brits brace for second stormlbc.co.uk · Recorded source date: Oct 24, 2026, 12:02 AM UTC
The storm caused transport disruption across several modes. Some flights were cancelled, while forecasters warned of widespread disruption to ferries and trains. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Travel chaos and tens of thousands without power as Brits brace for second stormlbc.co.uk · Recorded source date: Oct 24, 2026, 12:02 AM UTC
A tree blocked the trainline route to Stansted Airport, and part of Brighton’s old pier collapsed into the sea during the storm conditions. [1]
References for this detail (1)
- Travel chaos and tens of thousands without power as Brits brace for second stormlbc.co.uk · Recorded source date: Oct 24, 2026, 12:02 AM UTC
An amber wind warning was in place from Saturday into Sunday as another named storm approached. Reporting said the second storm was expected to affect northern parts of the UK. [1][2][3]
References for this detail (3)
- Travel chaos and tens of thousands without power as Brits brace for second stormlbc.co.uk · Recorded source date: Oct 24, 2026, 12:02 AM UTC
- Thousands without power after Austen batters UK as second storm nearsmidweekherald.co.uk · Article published: Oct 24, 2026, 11:42 AM UTC
- Thousands without power after Austen batters UK as second storm nearsruncornandwidnesworld.co.uk · Article published: Oct 24, 2026, 11:42 AM UTC
Explore the sources and reporting timeline
3 source links · 3 domains
These counts describe the references, not independent confirmations. Different outlets can repeat the same original report.
1 of these links repeat a headline already present, allowing for punctuation and publisher branding. Repeated wording is not additional confirmation.
Source timeline
Oldest to newest among the available source dates, not a chronology of the incident. Article publication dates come from the source; other recorded dates may reflect when a link was found.
- [1] Travel chaos and tens of thousands without power as Brits brace for second stormlbc.co.ukReferenced for: detail 1, detail 2, detail 3, detail 4, detail 5
- [3] Thousands without power after Austen batters UK as second storm nearsruncornandwidnesworld.co.ukReferenced for: detail 5
- [2] Thousands without power after Austen batters UK as second storm nearsmidweekherald.co.ukReferenced for: detail 5
Questions answered by the reporting
What this could mean for you
Some homes and businesses may remain without electricity.
Strong winds can damage power infrastructure, extending outages while repair crews restore supplies.
Reported basis: [1] · The possible effect is interpretation.
Depends on: Further severe winds affect the southwest before the remaining outages are cleared.
Possible time frame: days, if those conditions hold.
Air, rail and ferry journeys may be cancelled or delayed.
High winds and storm damage can make routes and infrastructure unsafe or unavailable.
Reported basis: [1] · The possible effect is interpretation.
Depends on: The amber wind warning and the approaching second storm produce the forecast disruption.
Possible time frame: days, if those conditions hold.
Possible consequences, not a forecast. Their relevance depends on your location and the conditions above.
For your country
Choose a country to check how this event could affect you.
What changes the outlook
Risk increases if…
The approaching storm brings stronger winds or heavy rain while existing power outages and transport damage are still being repaired.
Further infrastructure damage leaves more homes without electricity or closes additional travel routes.
Pressure eases if…
Power crews restore the remaining supplies and clear the blocked rail route.
Wind conditions weaken enough for airlines, rail operators and ferry services to resume normal operations.
Still unclear
The sources do not establish when every affected home will be reconnected.
The full extent of damage from the second storm is not established.
Market implications
Market impact
Sources (3)
References for the reported details. Separate links do not necessarily mean independent confirmation.
Available excerpt
An amber weather warning for wind from Saturday into Sunday is in place and a second named storm is still to come. More than 15,000…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
Available excerpt
This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues.…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
Available excerpt
This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues.…A short excerpt from our source record; open the original for the full article.
First tracked by DoomRadar: . AI-assisted analysis · . Based on linked headlines and available excerpts. Methodology · Report an error.