Storm Austen batters France and the UK with winds of up to 160 km/h

Storm Austen has brought severe winds, heavy rain and rough seas to coastal areas of France and the United Kingdom, with the hardest-hit areas including Brittany, Cornwall and Devon. The weather system struck on Friday 23 October, affecting Atlantic and Channel coasts before moving eastwards across northern France and southern England. In France, gusts reached 160 km/h at Pointe du Raz in Finistère, while exposed headlands in south-west England were forecast to see winds of up to 80 mph.

The storm produced particularly difficult conditions along the Finistère coast, where gusts of 120 to 140 km/h whipped up high seas. At Lanildut harbour, waves several metres high hit a navigation marker, yachts were rocked at their moorings and a pleasure boat was left capsized and partially submerged. Heavy rain also flooded parts of the harbour, while fallen branches were reported on nearby roads.

In Rennes, emergency crews used chainsaws to remove a large tree uprooted beside the River Vilaine, temporarily blocking traffic on a nearby boulevard. Disruption was also reported across the Channel in south-west England. In Hayle, Cornwall, fallen branches forced the closure of a road as workers cleared debris.

Strong winds and downpours swept across southern England, with Devon among the areas exposed to the worst conditions. The storm's strongest winds and heaviest seas were concentrated along the Atlantic and Channel coasts, where coastal infrastructure and transport routes were most vulnerable. Storm Austen is described as the first named storm of the 2026 autumn season, underlining the start of a period when Atlantic weather systems often bring stronger winds and heavier rain to western Europe.

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Named storms are tracked closely because they can help focus public warnings and emergency planning when conditions threaten transport, coastal areas and local services. In this case, the combination of high winds, rough seas and flooding created hazards for both maritime activity and road users. The incident also highlights the exposure of western France and south-west England to fast-moving Atlantic weather systems.

Brittany, in particular, often faces the brunt of storms arriving from the ocean, while Cornwall and Devon can experience similar impacts when systems cross the Channel. The reports from Lanildut, Le Conquet, Rennes and Hayle show how a single storm can affect harbours, roads and urban areas within a short period of time. What remains unclear from the available reports is the full extent of damage, whether there were any injuries, and how long local disruption will last.

The storm was moving eastwards across northern France and southern England, so further impacts may still emerge as the system continues inland. For now, the main confirmed effects are coastal flooding, fallen trees and branches, road closures and dangerous sea conditions along exposed shorelines.

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