Storm Austen brings amber wind warning for South West England

The first warnings came before Storm Austen had a name. On October 19, The Independent reported that the Met Office was forecasting winds of up to 70mph across a large part of England and Wales.

A yellow wind warning signalled possible disruption. Coventry Telegraph reported that the warning covered 12 hours from Friday and that power cuts were possible.

On October 20, the Met Office officially named Storm Austen, according to Daily Mail. The storm was forecast to arrive on Thursday night, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.

The initial forecasts focused on southern parts of the UK. The Guardian reported expected gusts of up to 60mph at the end of the week and described Austen as the season's first named storm.

Rain warnings were also developing in Ireland. On October 20, Irish Times reported that Met Éireann had issued a rain warning for Thursday, with heavy rain expected to spread eastwards across the country into Friday.

By October 21, the UK warning had escalated. Sky News reported an amber wind warning for South West England on Friday, with gusts of up to 80mph expected.

Forecasts for inland areas also strengthened. Coventry Telegraph reported a new 50mph wind forecast for Coventry and Warwickshire on October 21, alongside heavy rain. Its report the previous day had forecast 44mph winds for Coventry.

The clearest focus of the latest warnings is South West England. BBC News reported that the deep area of low pressure was expected to move close to the south of the UK early on Friday, with the southwest set to bear the brunt.

The latest 80mph forecast for the South West is higher than the 60mph to 70mph figures in earlier coverage. Those reports cover different areas and forecast stages, rather than establishing a single wind speed for everywhere affected.

The storm's track remains important to the next round of warnings. On October 21, Irish Times reported that Met Éireann could update its weather warnings as Austen's route became clearer.

The immediate forecast window runs from Thursday night into Friday. The key developments will be any changes to the warning areas and wind forecasts before the storm reaches the southern UK.