Key Points
- The first named storm of the 2026/27 season, Storm Austen, swept strong winds and rainfall throughout Wales on Friday, 23 October 2026.
- National Grid announced that more than 3,000 houses lost power supply between Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire and Usk in Monmouthshire; while many others regained power after outages experienced in prior days.
- Cardigan reported the most outages with more than 500 affected houses.
- The Met Office issued two yellow wind alerts for Wales, warning of wind gusts of 50–60mph widely, and gusts reaching speeds of 70mph in exposed areas along the coast.
- The two alerts were valid for a large section of Wales; the first alert was for 22:00 Thursday to 17:00 BST Friday, and the second alert was for 10:00 to 21:00 BST Friday.
- The Met Office advised of the possibility of injuries and dangers of life posed by flying debris, building damage, closure of roads and bridges, delayed journey time and cancellation of public transports.
- The M48 Severn Bridge was closed owing to strong winds, which caused diversions to M4 Prince of Wales Bridge, resulting in delays throughout the afternoon.
- Rail services were disrupted by fallen trees at Cwmbran and between Lydney and Gloucester; Transport for Wales.
Wales (Wales Times) October 23, 2026 — More than 3,000 homes in Wales were without electricity as Storm Austen brought damaging winds and heavy rain to the country, according to National Grid figures reported by BBC Wales.
As reported by BBC Wales journalist Leigh Boobyer, National Grid said the outages stretched between Milford Haven, in Pembrokeshire, and Usk, in Monmouthshire. The broadcaster reported that hundreds more households had lost power earlier in the day but had since been reconnected.
The largest single outage was in Cardigan, where more than 500 homes were affected. BBC News’ live coverage later said almost 2,000 homes remained without electricity between Milford Haven and Usk, indicating that restoration work was continuing through the day.
In Gwent, National Grid confirmed that about 800 properties in Pontypool lost power at about 12:31 after what it described as “a fault on the high voltage power lines”. As reported by the South Wales Argus, 794 of those properties had been reconnected by 14:30, with engineers estimating that all supplies would be restored by 20:00.
Further north, SP Energy Networks was dealing with three live power cuts in Flintshire, affecting more than 50 postcodes across Holywell, Mold and Flint. As reported by Deeside.com, 21 postcodes near Holywell lost power shortly before midday, 25 postcodes near Mold had been off since about 13:30, and eight postcodes in Flint had been affected since 11:56.
What did the Met Office warn?
The Met Office said Storm Austen would bring a spell of strong winds overnight on Thursday and into Friday, mainly affecting coastal areas. It forecast gusts of about 50–60mph across large parts of south Wales, with some coastal or exposed locations potentially seeing gusts of about 70mph.
Two yellow warnings for wind were in place across Wales on Friday. The first covered areas including uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Bridgend, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Pembrokeshire, Powys and the Vale of Glamorgan between 22:00 and 17:00 BST.
The second warning ran from 10:00 to 21:00 BST and covered Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Monmouthshire, Powys and Wrexham. The Met Office said periods of heavy rain were also expected.
The forecaster warned that injuries and danger to life were possible from flying debris. It also said some roads and bridges could close, buildings could be damaged, journey times could lengthen and public transport services could be cancelled.
As reported by the County Times, the Met Office said strong winds combined with locally heavy rain and trees still in full leaf created the potential for power outages and travel disruption.
Which transport routes were disrupted?
The M48 Severn Bridge was closed because of the strong winds, with traffic diverted via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge. The South Wales Argus reported that Traffic Wales recorded delays approaching the Prince of Wales Bridge throughout the afternoon and advised drivers to allow extra time.
The eastbound slip road leaving the M4 at High Cross was closed for about 90 minutes after a fallen tree. Traffic Wales cleared the junction by 14:30.
The A467 was closed briefly between the Blaina and Brynmawr roundabouts after a car struck a fallen tree branch shortly before 14:30. A Gwent Police spokesperson said no injuries were reported.
Rail passengers faced significant disruption. Trees blocked lines at Cwmbran and between Lydney and Gloucester, while Transport for Wales warned of delays of up to an hour and cancellations, particularly between Cardiff and Shrewsbury and between Lydney and Cheltenham Spa.
In north Wales, Transport for Wales cancelled services between Chester and Holyhead in both directions. Deeside.com reported that stations including Shotton and Flint were affected, with disruption expected until 20:20.
Network Rail asked people living near the railway to secure garden furniture, trampolines and other loose items that could be blown onto the line. It said speed restrictions and amended timetables would be in place on Saturday.
What did emergency and utility bodies say?
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution urged people visiting the coast in south Wales to “stay vigilant and not take unnecessary risks”.
As reported by BBC Wales, RNLI water safety manager Ross Macleod said: “If you plan to visit the coast or a waterside location, we urge you stay a safe distance from the water as conditions could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea.”
Macleod also advised anyone in difficulty in the water to float on their back, extend their arms and legs, try to relax and regain control of their breathing before calling for help or swimming to safety. He said anyone who saw another person in danger should throw them something buoyant and call 999 or 112, asking for the coastguard.
National Grid warned people to stay well clear of fallen trees and power lines. A spokesperson said: “If you come across a fallen tree, branch or overhead cable, always assume it’s live and keep well away.”
The spokesperson added that power lines could remain dangerous even if they appeared undamaged.
Were flights affected?
Despite the severe conditions, flights to and from Bristol and Cardiff airports remained largely unaffected. The South Wales Argus reported that only services to Guernsey were cancelled.
The storm’s wider impact was more severe elsewhere in Britain. BBC News reported that Storm Austen caused power cuts, rail cancellations and school closures across the South West and Channel Islands, while Jersey Airport recorded wind speeds of more than 80mph.
What happens next?
The Met Office said winds were expected to ease gradually during Friday afternoon, although scattered showers were forecast to continue.
The yellow warning covering parts of Wales remained in force until 17:00 BST, while the second warning ran until 21:00 BST in some areas.
The South Wales Argus reported that the Met Office expected the weather to remain unsettled through the weekend as Storm Boelo affects northern areas of the UK.
Background of the development
Storm Austen was the first named storm of the 2026/27 season. The Met Office named the system as it approached the UK, with warnings issued for Wales, south-west England, other parts of England and Scotland.
Before the storm reached Wales, the Met Office warned that gusts could reach 70mph on the Welsh coast and up to 80mph in some exposed areas elsewhere. It advised households to prepare torches, batteries and mobile-phone power packs in case of outages.
The storm followed heavy rain in Shetland, where flooding and a landslide were reported before a weekend of weather warnings across other parts of Scotland.
Prediction: How will this affect Welsh residents and businesses?
For households, the immediate effect is likely to be continued uncertainty over electricity supplies, particularly in Flintshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Monmouthshire, where outages were reported. Residents should follow National Grid or SP Energy Networks updates, keep mobile phones charged and report dangerous fallen cables by calling 105.
For commuters, further delays remain possible while fallen trees, debris and damaged infrastructure are cleared. Passengers using Transport for Wales services should check timetables before travelling, especially on routes between Cardiff and Shrewsbury, Lydney and Cheltenham Spa, and Chester and Holyhead.
For small businesses, shops and schools, disruption may affect staffing, deliveries and customer footfall, particularly where roads or rail lines remain blocked. Businesses in exposed coastal areas should also review outdoor signage, scaffolding and loose stock before further unsettled weather.
For vulnerable residents, including older people and those dependent on powered medical equipment, the outages underline the importance of checking on neighbours and using priority-services registers where eligible. National Grid reported that more than 6,000 customers on its priority services register were among those affected across the South West, underlining the potential scale of need during severe-weather events.
