Brief calm before Storm Austen By Brian Gaze [Published 06:30 22/10/2026] Much of the UK has a good deal of dry weather today, but Storm Austen is approaching. By late afternoon it will be starting to make its presence felt in the south west, as cloud builds, outbreaks of rain develop and winds strengthen. Through tonight and tomorrow, it becomes wet and windy across much of the UK, with gusts approaching 80mph in the south west and around 50mph inland. 14 day forecast video Issued 20th October 2026 Dry in much of the UK Showery rain in the south east and north east clears this morning. A few isolated showers remain, but most of the UK has dry and bright conditions. However, in the south west, cloud builds, winds strengthen and outbreaks of rain begin to arrive as Storm Austen approaches. Temperatures range from 7°C to 13°C. Check the weather radar for the most up to date view. Ad-free browsing and premium features Subscribe to The Weather Outlook Premium to enjoy ad-free browsing and extra features. Subscribe on a recurring monthly basis or for a fixed 12 month period. Find out more: The Weather Outlook Premium UKV, Thursday 22nd October [Tap animation to toggle cities] Tonight:Heavy outbreaks of rain spread north-eastwards across much of the UK. It becomes windy in the south and west, with severe gales developing in the south-western peninsula, western Wales and along the English Channel. The Signal Stay up to date with the latest weather forecasts and computer model trends by exploring our new feature, The Signal. It includes short videos, animations, and charts. View The Signal Tomorrow: Storm Austen tracks eastwards over or just to the south of southern Britain, bringing damaging winds and heavy outbreaks of rain. The stormiest conditions will initially be in the south west, before transferring eastwards through the day. Gusts of 50mph are possible inland across much of England and Wales. It will feel very cold, and there could be some wet snow over higher parts of the Pennines and the Southern Uplands. UKV, Friday 23rd October [Tap animation to toggle cities] Saturday: After a mostly dry start, cloud and outbreaks of rain quickly move in from the Atlantic, spreading across most of the UK. It becomes very windy again, especially in coastal counties. It will feel cold in the cloud and rain. Outlook: Showery conditions return on Sunday. The unsettled weather is likely to continue into early next week, but in the longer term, there are signs of high pressure having more influence in the south. This would lead to a greater chance of dry periods, particularly in southern areas. GFS overview for Saturday 24th October - Monday 26th October