Beware Storm Austen - all you need to know about woeful weekend weather for the West Midlands

Get ready for a taste of winter - as we are warned to expect the first named storm of the season.

Storm Austen is forecast to bring gusts of 50 to the West Midlands by the end of the week, with heavy rain on top.

While current major warnings are for south-west England and southern Wales, our region will also feel the brunt of the weather.

The worst of the conditions will come in on Friday night and continue through a blustery and wet weekend.

Areas of the south coast have been warned they may experience structural damage and localised flooding, with gusts topping 70mph.

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.”

The Met Office storm year runs from September to August, with each 12-month period having its own alphabetical list of names that are used to label successive storms.

This year’s list begins with Austen and continues with Boelo, Chloe, Dano and Evelyn, ending at W with Wende.

The letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are not used, in line with international storm naming conventions.

The names are decided by the Met Office in conjunction with Met Éireann and KNMI, which are the Irish and Dutch national meteorological services respectively.

Austen was selected by Met Éireann in honour of Austen Nagle, the first director of the service, while Evelyn was picked in tribute to Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present the weather on RTÉ, Ireland’s national public service broadcaster.

Other names are chosen from suggestions submitted by the public, with Chloe having been nominated more than 130 times.

The Met Office began naming storms in 2015/16, since when the furthest letter of the alphabet reached within any 12-month period was L, in 2023/24.

Only four storms were named in 2025/26: Amy, Bram, Chandra and Dave.

Met Office head of warnings and guidance, Holly Clements, said: “For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively.

“A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.”