Storm Austen Brings 45mph Winds and Heavy Rain to London

Heavy rain and strong winds are expected across London and parts of the United Kingdom as Storm Austen approaches later in the week, with forecasters warning of potential disruption from Friday. Forecasts published on October 20 indicate that London could experience winds of up to 45mph, while exposed coastal locations could face gusts exceeding 70mph.

The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning for parts of southern England, including the southwest, and Wales. The warning is scheduled to run from midnight until noon on Friday, when the storm could bring its most disruptive conditions to affected areas.

According to forecasts reported by the Evening Standard, rain is expected to reach London at around 11 p.m. Thursday and continue well into Friday. Winds could strengthen to 45mph by 5 p.m. Friday, while gusts of 50-60mph are forecast more widely across affected areas.

Conditions are expected to remain unsettled into Saturday, with further showers and winds reaching 33mph during the evening. Sunday is forecast to be drier and warmer, with temperatures rising to 17C after reaching 14C on Saturday.

Before the storm arrives, London is expected to experience cloudy, wet and misty conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday. BBC and Met Office forecasts put daytime highs at 12C to 13C, following a drop in temperatures after a mild start to October.

Thursday is expected to bring a temporary improvement, with clearer skies, sunny intervals and temperatures reaching 14C. However, the outlook is forecast to deteriorate overnight as weather systems move in from the Atlantic.

BBC Weather forecaster Elizabeth Rizzini described the developing weather pattern during an appearance on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. She identified two powerful Atlantic pressure systems as the main factor behind the worsening conditions.

Rizzini said the systems would bring the possibility of a named storm as the weather turns increasingly unsettled.

She also said, "It's wet and it's windy pretty much all week," describing the broader forecast for the United Kingdom.

The Met Office named the approaching system Storm Austen, marking the first named storm of the season. In the UK, storms are typically given names when forecasts indicate the potential for significant damage or disruption associated with an amber or red weather warning.

Separately, a forecast for Aldeburgh in Suffolk published by the Ipswich Star on October 20 also warned of winds exceeding 40mph and rain. The report placed the local outlook within a broader period of unsettled weather and weather warnings across the UK.

The Met Office's longer-range outlook also points to further Atlantic weather systems bringing periods of rain, potentially heavy, alongside a risk of strong winds or gales. Drier intervals and sunshine are expected between systems, while temperatures could begin slightly below average before rising above normal later in the period.

Forecasters are also monitoring the possibility that a major El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific could contribute to wetter and more unsettled weather during autumn, although the immediate UK forecast centers on the approaching Atlantic systems.