London — Storm Austen, Then Boelo, Set to Hit UK This Week

Storm Austen is forecast to bring an amber wind warning to south-west England early Friday, and a second named storm, Boelo, is set to follow into the weekend across the rest of the UK, the Met Office said, according to BBC Weather. Austen is the first named storm of the season; Boelo would be the second within roughly 48 hours.

What warnings has the Met Office issued for Storm Austen?

The Met Office issued an amber wind warning for Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Plymouth and parts of Devon, valid from 1am to 10am Friday, BBC Weather reported. Gusts are expected to widely reach 60-70mph, with up to 80mph possible in exposed locations — strong enough to topple some trees, disrupt transport and cause power cuts, with a risk of flying debris and building damage at the storm's peak, according to the outlet.

Yellow wind warnings cover most of England and Wales, with gusts forecast at 45-60mph and up to 70mph in some areas. Separately, a yellow rain warning for Scotland calls for 20-40mm of rainfall, with up to 80mm possible in a few areas through Friday, raising the risk of localized flooding, BBC Weather said.

Where will Storm Boelo hit hardest over the weekend?

Storm Boelo is expected to bring wet and windy conditions across the entire UK on Saturday, with poor driving conditions from surface water and spray on faster roads, according to BBC Weather. The strongest winds are forecast to move into Scotland on Saturday afternoon and peak overnight.

The Met Office issued yellow wind warnings for Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England covering Saturday into most of Sunday, with gusts widely reaching 50-65mph and up to 80mph in exposed spots. BBC Weather noted particular risk of disruption where winds funnel through the Central Lowlands, and flagged an added flooding risk following recent wet weather.

Why are two storms arriving so close together?

According to BBC Weather, storm clustering of this kind is not unusual. The outlet reported that a strong jet stream is required to rapidly develop powerful wind storms, a process that involves warmer air shifting north and cooler air shifting south across large stretches of the Atlantic. Those temperature contrasts can create conditions favorable for new low-pressure systems; if those systems then track beneath a developing area of a powerful jet stream, they can intensify quickly into a new named storm with damaging winds, the report said.

How bad will conditions be in France and the Channel Islands?

BBC Weather reported that the most damaging winds from Storm Austen will track south of the low-pressure center, putting north-west France in the most direct path. Parts of Brittany could see gusts close to 90mph, while the Channel Islands are expecting severe gales with gusts up to 80mph. The Government of Jersey ordered all schools closed Friday because of the high winds forecast from Storm Austen, according to the report.

Storm figures at a glance

• Storm Austen amber-warning gusts: 60-70mph, up to 80mph in exposed areas (Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, Plymouth, parts of Devon)
• Storm Austen yellow-warning gusts: 45-60mph, up to 70mph (most of England and Wales)
• Scotland rainfall warning: 20-40mm, up to 80mm in some areas
• Storm Boelo gusts: 50-65mph widely, up to 80mph in exposed locations (Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England)
• Brittany, France gusts: near 90mph; Channel Islands gusts: up to 80mph

What to watch next

• Friday, 1am-10am: amber warning window for Storm Austen across Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, Plymouth and parts of Devon
• Saturday: Storm Boelo arrives with wet, windy conditions nationwide and hazardous driving conditions on faster roads
• Saturday afternoon into overnight: strongest Boelo winds move into Scotland and peak
• Possible power cuts and transport disruption tied to both storms, per Met Office warnings cited by BBC Weather
• Localized flooding risk in Scotland, compounded by recent wet weather ahead of Boelo's rain

For the full warning maps and timing details, see the originating BBC Weather report.