Storm Austen batters Europe: 300,000 homes without power

Nearly 300,000 French homes lost power at the peak of Storm Austen on Thursday night as the first named storm of Europe's 2026/27 Western Group season tore across the UK, France and Ireland. Schools shut, cross-Channel ferries were suspended, and rail, road and air links were disrupted across three countries.

Where the storm hit hardest

Region	What was reported
Northern France	Orange alert in 23 departments; nearly 300,000 homes without power at peak (grid operator Enedis: Brittany 128,000, Normandy 89,000); 2,000+ technicians deployed; cross-Channel ferries suspended on Friday morning
South-west England	Amber warning for Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and west Devon; 9,000+ homes without power at peak
Channel Islands	Red wind warning; gusts of 135 km/h at Jersey Airport; all schools and colleges closed on 23 October
Ireland	Gusts of 106 km/h at Roche's Point, County Cork; around 3,000 homes, farms and businesses without power (ESB Networks); 40+ fallen trees in Cork and Waterford

The tallies come from national weather services, grid operators and local reports. They cover different areas and time windows, so they are not directly comparable.

Why it is called Austen

The UK Met Office named the system on 20 October. It is the first of the Western Group's 2026/27 season, the naming partnership the Met Office runs with Ireland's Met Éireann and the Dutch KNMI. The name honours English meteorologist Austen H. Nagle (1903–1984), the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service. Germany's Free University of Berlin calls the same system Luise.

The warnings behind it

The Met Office put Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of west Devon under an amber wind warning, its second-highest alert level, forecasting 60–70 mph gusts and up to 80 mph on exposed headlands. Across the Channel, Météo-France placed 23 departments in northern and western France under orange vigilance for violent winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding, with coastal gusts forecast at 130–150 km/h. Ireland's Met Éireann issued orange wind warnings for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo.

On the ground, Network Rail and GWR ran Cornwall trains under speed restrictions with London services terminating at Plymouth. France's transport minister confirmed regional rail and major road corridors were severely interrupted across Normandy, Brittany, Hauts-de-France and the Paris region by fallen trees and debris.

Storm Boelo is next: amber warning for the weekend

Austen moves into the North Sea on Friday evening, but the second named storm is already on its way. Storm Boelo, named by the Met Office on 22 October (Manja in Germany), is forecast to strike Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England over the weekend. On 23 October the Met Office upgraded its alert to an amber wind warning for western and central Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and northern England, warning of a potential danger to life from flying debris. Forecasters expect 80–95 km/h gusts inland and 110–130 km/h on exposed coasts and high ground, with mountain snow in Scotland. Ireland's Met Éireann has orange wind and rain warnings for western counties and an orange marine storm warning off the west coast.

For Indian readers: anyone flying to London, Paris or Dublin this weekend should check their flight status with the airline before leaving for the airport. Within the UK, check National Rail and ferry operator updates. Network Rail Scotland plans to close several lines on Saturday night.

📷 फोटो: VIIRS Imagery from NOAA's Suomi-NPP Satellite, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)