Families planning an October half-term break on Britain’s south coast could be facing a wet and windy getaway, with the season’s first named storm expected to sweep across the country.
The Met Office named the system Storm Austen on Tuesday morning, warning that it is likely to reach Britain on Thursday night with powerful winds and periods of heavy rain.
A yellow warning for severe winds is in force across much of south-east and south-west England and Wales. Rain is expected to affect the whole country as the storm moves through.
The strongest-hit locations could see gusts of up to 70mph, particularly in exposed coastal areas. Forecasters have advised the public to prepare for unsettled conditions.
People travelling to the coast during half-term have been urged to monitor the latest forecasts. The AA warned that the combination of strong winds and heavy rain could make driving considerably more difficult.
The coming week is expected to bring the wettest and windiest conditions seen so far this autumn.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree said Storm Austen’s precise path was still being assessed, but added that an impactful spell of weather was clearly developing, with disruption possible in some areas. That risk prompted officials to name the storm.
“Peak gusts above 70mph are possible along the most exposed coasts, while winds of 50 to 60mph are more likely across much of the warning area,” he said. “Warnings are being reviewed continually and may change as confidence in the forecast improves, so it is important to keep checking the latest updates over the next few days.”
Storm Austen is expected to bring disruptive weather to Britain as families prepare to travel for the half-term break
Three friends cross Westminster Bridge beneath umbrellas during a wet and blustery day in London
The Met Office said the conditions could disrupt travel, damage buildings and lead to power cuts in some communities.
Storm Austen is expected to reach its peak on Friday morning before gradually weakening later in the day. Rainfall totals of between 20mm and 30mm are forecast in many areas.
Tony Rich, a spokesperson for the AA, told drivers heading towards the coast to prepare their journeys carefully.
“With half-term approaching, many families will be looking forward to a break,” he said. “Anyone travelling towards areas affected by the forecast should check the latest weather and travel information before leaving.”
He added: “Strong winds and heavy rain can make driving far more challenging, especially on exposed routes and for motorists towing caravans or trailers. Allow additional time, slow down to match the conditions and leave a greater gap between your vehicle and the one in front.”
While the forecast could disrupt half-term plans, the expected rainfall may be welcomed in parts of the country after Britain recorded its hottest summer on record.
The Environment Agency declared a severe drought in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex just last week.
Water companies have been told to intensify their drought planning as concerns grow over regional supplies, with millions of people still subject to hosepipe restrictions.
Overall water storage in Devon and Cornwall has fallen to just 31 per cent, while levels at several individual reservoirs have dropped sharply.
Sithians Reservoir, Cornwall’s main water source, is currently only 21 per cent full, compared with 44 per cent at the same point last year.
And drone images from Wimbleball, in Exmoor, show how an area previously filled with water has been left bare and dry in the aftermath of a scorching British summer.
Drone images from Wimbleball reservoir in Exmoor show how the site has been left bare and dry following a record-breakingly hot British summer
Water supplies at the site in Devon have been left at just 21 per cent, compared to 44 per cent a year ago
An abandoned tire is seen at Wimbleball on Monday
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The site’s water supplies are said to be at just 21 per cent capacity, compared to the 44 per cent it held a year ago.
Elsewhere, Roadford reservoir has slipped to 35 per cent, down from 60 per cent a year ago, and Colliford is down eight per cent.
South West Water (SWW) introduced a hosepipe ban in August and is also considering further restrictions that could impact businesses like car washes and window cleaners.
The company said that reservoir storage levels have been ‘significantly impacted’ by higher demand after the hottest summer on record.
Rachel Gilmore, MP for Tiverton and Minehead, said: ‘If you’ve got reservoirs that are running dry, there is obviously a problem.
‘After the summer we’ve had, it was obvious that water (supply) was going to be an issue. I have said repeatedly that SWW does not invest in its assets
‘Climate change is something that is with us now and we have to act very, very swiftly.’
This weekend’s wet weather is expected to follow a period of ‘deep area of low pressure’ which is forecast to cross the UK on Thursday night.
Britain’s storm season reset at the beginning of September – which marked the start of meteorological autumn – with a fresh list of names agreed by the three cooperating weather authorities.
Among the names on this year’s list, chosen by members of the public, are Finn, Killian and Phelim, with the first three storms set to be named Austen, Boelo and Chloe.
More than 40,000 names were submitted after the weather authorities invited suggestions last year.
The unsettled weather came after an extended period of summer heat which saw five heatwaves.
From June 11 until this month, temperatures of at least 20C (68F) were recorded at least somewhere in Britain.
And last month was the fourth-warmest September since records began in 1864, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.
Though rainfall returned to around average in September after many regions were plunged into drought over the summer, the dry spell’s effects are still clear.
Cidermakers have said they are set for the worst harvest since their records began in 1984 as apples ripened prematurely in the heat.
Torrential rain and strong winds are on the way to parts of England and Wales this week
At Burrow Hill Cider in Kingsbury Episcopi, Somerset, where cider has been produced for over 300 years from its 200 acres of orchards, the crop is down about 50 per cent on last year.
The ‘extremely long and hot summer and lack of rainfall has meant the apples have ripened prematurely, are smaller than usual and have dropped to the ground by the stressed trees,’ the company said.
Another effect of the hot summer could be a vibrant landscape of trees and encourage some flowers to bloom out of season, the National Trust said.
Despite signs of a ‘false autumn’, in which drought-stressed tree leaves have turned brown and dropped early, the ingredients are still there for a colourful season – particularly if the coming weeks bring cooler, settled weather.
The summer sunshine should produce strong colour in the healthy foliage that remains but it is likely to be more varied than usual, the trust adds.
Some plants have responded to recent rain with fresh growth or a second flowering out of season – meaning there could be spots where maples are in autumn colour alongside rhododendrons in bloom.
