‘Potentially dangerous conditions’: What to expect as Storm Austen strikes Peterborough on Friday
Storm Austen is forecast to move across southern England late Thursday and during Friday morning
Peterborough is bracing for gale force winds and torrential downpours later this week as the first named storm of the autumn sweeps across England.
Storm Austen is forecast to move across southern, central and eastern parts of the country late Thursday (October 22) and during Friday morning (October 23).
The Met Office has issued amber warnings for parts of the south and south-west, with winds as strong as 80mph forecast in some areas.
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Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “Storm Austen is expected to bring a spell of impactful weather to parts of the UK from Thursday night and through Friday.
“While there remains some uncertainty in the exact track of the storm, there is increasing confidence in the potential for disruptive winds across parts of southwest England, which is why an Amber warning has been issued.
“Winds gusts could potentially reach 60-70 mph for a time, and these strong winds will be combined with spells of heavy rain.
"People in affected areas should keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings as the event develops.”
Winds are expected to gradually ease through Friday afternoon and evening.
How will Storm Austen impact Peterborough? The Met Office’s rain radar predicts that Storm Austen will hit Peterborough at 1am on Friday morning.
Forecast models have the heavy rain continuing until 7am. Residents can expect a brief reprieve from the rain between 7am and 9am, before further heavy showers continue until 10pm.
Between 10am and 7pm on Friday, Peterborough could experience maximum wind gusts of 44mph.
No Met Office warnings are in place for Peterborough at the time of writing (9am on Thursday, October 22), but this could change as more detailed weather models become available.