London weather: Storm Austen to hit capital with near-50mph winds and heavy rain

The first named storm of the season is set to bring high winds and heavy rain to London.

Following a mild and calm start to October, much wilder weather is set to sweep the capital as Storm Austen hits the UK.

Temperatures have already taken a tumble to the low double figures in a big change from the 22C warmth last week.

The Met Office predicts a high of 14C and largely dry conditions with sunny intervals on Thursday.

But the weather is set to take a turn from Thursday night as “two really deep areas of pressure” move in from the Atlantic, say forecasters at BBC Weather.

Heavy rain is expected to sweep the capital from around 11pm on Thursday, continuing long into Friday, with winds picking up to as much as 48mph by the afternoon.

Storm Austen is expected to cause disruption, with the Met Office issuing a yellow weather warning for winds for parts of southern England and Wales from midnight on Friday until 2pm the same day.

Some coastal or exposed areas could see wind speeds exceeding 80mph, while gusts of 50-60 mph are expected more widely.

The heavy wind will carry on into Saturday, with more rainy showers forecast through the afternoon.

The first named storm could be on its way

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In London, gusts are expected to exceed 40mph on Saturday and Sunday, according to the Met Office.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Elizabeth Rizzini said “two really deep areas of pressure” would move in from the Atlantic.

“It’s wet and it’s windy pretty much all week,” she said.

In the UK, storms are typically named when they are forecast to cause significant damage or disruption, leading to an amber or red weather warning.

It comes as forecasters predict a huge El Nino phenomenon in the Pacific could cause wetter and wilder weather this autumn.

In the Met Office’s long range update, the forecast read that weather systems from the Atlantic “will bring spells of rain, heavy at times, together with a risk of strong winds or gales.”

“Between systems it will be drier and brighter with some sunshine, but also with a few showers in places. Temperatures may be slightly below normal at first, but are likely to rise above average later,” it said.