Storm Austen has been named by the Met Office, bringing the potential for disruptive wind and rain to parts of the UK from late Thursday and into Friday.
But what does it actually take for a storm to be given a name, and why can a storm sometimes be named while weather warnings are still yellow?
The answer is ultimately about impacts. Storm naming helps communicate the threat from potentially significant weather, giving the public, media and organisations a single, recognisable name to use as the situation develops.
Why has Storm Austen been named?
Storm Austen is associated with an area of low pressure forming in the Atlantic, which is expected to rapidly deepen as it is invigorated by the jet stream. While its exact track and position are still being determined, there is already enough potential for disruption for the system to have been named.
A Yellow Warning for wind has been issued for southern England and south Wales. Gusts in excess of 70mph are possible around the most exposed coasts, with 50-60mph gusts likely more widely within the warning area. Potential impacts include travel disruption, power cuts and injuries from debris.
Rain will provide an additional hazard. Some 20-30mm is expected in many places, with higher totals possible over western high ground and farther north on Friday.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree said: “While the exact track and position of Storm Austen is still being determined, what’s clear is that we have an impactful period of weather on the way and the potential for disruption in places, which has resulted in the system being named.
“Peak gusts in excess of 70mph are possible on the most exposed coastal areas, while 50-60mph are likely more widely within the warning area. Weather warnings are under constant review and could be updated as confidence increases, so it’s important to stay up to date with the forecast in the coming days.”
What does it take for a storm to be named?
There isn't a particular wind speed, rainfall total or central pressure that automatically results in a storm being named.
Instead, naming is based on the potential for significant disruption and impacts. The Met Office's storm-naming guidance explains that a storm is named when it is expected to cause disruption or damage significant enough to warrant an amber or red warning. While strong winds are often the main consideration, other hazards such as heavy rain and significant snowfall can also lead to a storm being named.
This reflects how weather warnings themselves work. The warning level doesn't simply tell us how strong the wind will be or how much rain will fall. It reflects the combination of the likelihood of the weather occurring and the impacts it could have.
Why can we name a storm when the warning is yellow?
Storm Austen provides a useful example because, at the point it was named on Tuesday 20 October, a Yellow Warning for wind was in force rather than an amber or red warning.
A yellow warning can cover a range of weather scenarios. It may indicate weather that is likely to cause some disruption, such as travel delays in a few places, while allowing many people to continue with their normal activities.
But yellow can also be used when much more significant impacts are possible, but confidence in exactly where or whether those impacts will occur is lower.
That distinction is particularly important for developing storms.
A storm may therefore be named while only yellow warnings are in force if there is the potential for disruptive impacts. As forecast confidence increases, warning areas and warning levels may be updated accordingly.
That is relevant to Storm Austen. The Met Office has said its exact track and position are still being determined and that warnings remain under constant review and could be updated as confidence increases.
An amber warning represents an increased likelihood of severe-weather impacts, potentially including travel delays and closures, power cuts and risks to life and property. A red warning means dangerous weather is expected, with a very high likelihood of a risk to life and potentially substantial disruption and widespread damage.
This is why reading the details within a warning, rather than looking only at its colour, is important.
Why do we give storms names?
Naming provides a clear and authoritative way of communicating about severe weather. Using the same recognisable name across forecasts, media coverage and government communications makes it easier to understand which weather system is being discussed and the risks associated with it.
The UK's storm-naming initiative began in 2015 and is run in partnership by the Met Office, Met Éireann and KNMI, the Dutch national weather service. A new list is published each September, covering the following storm season.
For Storm Austen, the key message is not simply that a named storm is approaching. Forecast details can change as its track and intensity become clearer, so keeping up to date with the latest forecast and warnings will remain important over the coming days.
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