The key facts

  • Storm Austin — the first named storm of the 2026 autumn season — hit France and the UK on 23 October.
  • Gusts of up to 160 km/h at Pointe du Raz (Finistère); winds of up to 80 mph were forecast in south-west England.
  • In Lanildut a pleasure boat capsized and partially sank; fallen trees and branches were being cleared in Rennes and Hayle (Cornwall).

The first named storm of the season

Storm Austin, the first named storm of the 2026 autumn season, battered coastal areas of France and the UK on Friday, 23 October, bringing strong winds, torrential rain and high waves. Among the worst-hit regions were Brittany, Cornwall and Devon. Gusts reached 160 km/h at Pointe du Raz in Finistère, while winds of up to 80 mph were forecast on exposed headlands of south-west England.

Damage on the Brittany coast

Along the Finistère coast, gusts of 120–140 km/h caused heavy seas. In the port of Lanildut, waves several metres high crashed against a navigation marker, yachts rocked heavily on their moorings, and a pleasure boat capsized and partially sank. Torrential rain flooded part of the harbour, and nearby roads were strewn with fallen branches. In Le Conquet, large waves broke against the shore, where boats remained moored in the port. In Rennes, emergency services used chainsaws to cut up a large tree uprooted by the Vilaine river, which had temporarily blocked traffic on the nearby boulevard.

Consequences in the UK

On the other side of the Channel, fallen branches led to the closure of a road in Hayle, Cornwall, while workers cleared the debris. Strong winds and heavy rain swept across southern England, with Devon among the worst-affected areas.

Movement of the cyclone

The strongest wind gusts and the heaviest seas were observed off the Atlantic coast and the Channel, after which the weather front moved eastwards over northern France and southern England.