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Environment & Climate

Storm Austen cuts power to thousands as amber wind warnings hit southwest England

Forecasters expected gusts up to 80mph, and National Grid reported more than 16,000 homes without power.

Updated Oct 23, 2026 · 12:24 UTC3 reports

The short version

  • The Met Office issued an amber wind warning for Cornwall and parts of west Devon as Storm Austen approached.[BBC News]
  • Gusts of up to 80mph were expected around exposed coasts, with 60-70mph gusts elsewhere.[BBC News]
  • National Grid reported more than 16,000 homes in the southwest without power by late morning, after restoring power to 12,000 properties by 8am.[Associated Press · The Guardian]
  • Dozens of Cornish schools opened late or not at all, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned of a potentially greater winter flooding risk.[Associated Press · The Guardian]

Key facts

  • The Met Office issued an amber wind warning, its second-highest tier, for Cornwall and parts of west Devon, valid from 03:00 to 10:00 BST on Friday.[BBC News]
  • Wind gusts of up to 80mph were expected around exposed coasts, with 60-70mph gusts elsewhere in the warning area.[BBC News]
  • National Grid reported more than 16,000 homes in the south-west without power just before 11am on Friday.[Associated Press · The Guardian]
  • National Grid said engineers had restored power to more than 12,000 properties affected by Storm Austen by 8am on Friday.[The Guardian]
  • Dozens of schools in Cornwall opened late, and others did not open at all.[The Guardian]
  • A gust of 76mph was recorded at St Mary's Airport on the Isles of Scilly on Friday morning.[The Guardian]
  • Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK potentially faces a winter of greater flooding.[Associated Press · The Guardian]

What remains uncertain

  • Outage figures are snapshots reported by National Grid and may change as restoration continues.[Associated Press · The Guardian]
  • The 80mph gusts are forecasts rather than recorded readings, and final impacts were not yet known in the reporting.[The Guardian · BBC News]
  • Burnham's warning of a potentially greater winter flooding risk is stated as a possibility, and the reporting provided does not cite supporting data.[Associated Press · The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.