Tuesday 20th October
News Flash
Storm Austen named
Author: Met Office
10:45 (UTC+1) on Tue 20 Oct 2026
Storm Austen has been named by the Met Office with disruptive wind and rain for some from late Thursday and into Friday
Monday gave us a very sunny morning before cloud began to arrive around midday, hence the maximum of 13.1C was logged at 12.55 being 1.8C below average. The breeze was light but from the east being a cooler air stream. During the evening the temperature began to drop away to reach a minimum of 6.1C at 21.16, which was 1.5C below average. Around that time variable cloud began to arrive that thickened as the extensive rain band arrived with the automatic rain gauge being triggered at 01.58 that produced a total of 10.6mm of rainfall by 08.00.
Tuesday struggled to arrive under the thin, low cloud with the rain beginning to ease after 08.00 as the main rain band moved away to the northwest, but is likely to continue for much of the day from the back edge of the cloud associated with the weather front. The arrival of the cloud and rain saw the thermometer do an about turn after the low at 21.16 last night, to reach 9.0C by 08.00.
The unsettled weather has now fully set in with periods of rain and strong winds ahead. The low pressure moving across Brittany on Tuesday will push rain bands across the country as it edges northwards with its centre over southern England later in the day. The wind strength will also increase significantly during the afternoon. The barometric pressure has dropped a significant 15mb over the past twenty-four hours and continues to drop rapidly as the centre of the low edges closer.
The forecast pressure charts indicate that further rain bands will cross the country on Wednesday. However, by Thursday a deep depression is forecast to arrive from the Atlantic that is likely to produce strong winds and heavy rain on Friday. The exact track of this depression is not certain at this time but the intensity of the rain and very strong winds will depend on its position over the UK. Might this be the first named storm of the season?
Why hasn’t the UK had any named storms yet?
Chris Fawkes, Sarah Keith-Lucas, Matt Taylor Lead Weather Presenters
17 Oct 2026
With November already on the horizon the UK is yet to see its first named storm of the season.
Deep Atlantic lows responsible for more turbulent conditions have been steered away by dominant areas of high pressure.
This year the headlines have been about worsening drought rather than the impact of gales.
However, could this be the calm before the storms as the Met Office predict a growing chance that late autumn and early winter will turn wetter and windier as El Niño strengthens in the Pacific.
Why has it been a quiet start to autumn?
As autumn sets in and the nights get longer temperatures around polar regions start to fall. This causes a greater contrast with the warmer tropics which can fire up a more potent jet stream – the fast moving, narrow band of fast winds high in the atmosphere.
The jet stream is largely responsible for developing and delivering our stormier pressure systems.
Typically in autumn the jet stream would be a regular visitor to the skies above the UK, steering wet and windy weather towards us.
However, so far this season it has often been sitting to the north or north-west of the UK. This has meant south or south-westerly winds bringing warmer than normal conditions and high pressure having more of an influence leading to reduced rainfall for many.