The first proper storm of the season is on its way. The Met Office has named Storm Austen, which is due to sweep across southern parts of the UK overnight on Thursday and into Friday 23 October, and it has already named a second, Storm Boelo, which will bring strong winds to Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England over the weekend.
"This is the first stormy weather in the south of the UK this season." – Neil Armstrong, Met Office Chief Forecaster
High winds don't just knock over the bins. They lift roof tiles, flatten fences, bring down branches and cut the power. The good news is that a lot of storm damage can be prevented with an hour or two of preparation. Here's what to do before, during and after the wind picks up.
What's forecast
Storm Austen (Thursday night to Friday 23 October)
- Amber wind warning for Cornwall, Devon, the Isles of Scilly and Plymouth from 1am to 10am on Friday. Gusts of 60–70mph are expected widely, with around 80mph possible on exposed headlands.
- Yellow wind warnings across much of England and Wales on Friday. Gusts of 50–60mph are likely within the southern warning area, with 70mph or more on exposed coasts, and 45–55mph further inland.
- Yellow rain warning for southern and eastern Scotland on Friday, with 20–40mm of rain widely and up to 60–80mm in places.
Storm Boelo (Saturday evening to Sunday 25 October)
- Yellow wind warning for mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney and far northern England from 6pm Saturday to 9pm Sunday. Gusts of 55–65mph are expected widely, with 70–80mph on exposed coasts and high ground.
- Yellow wind warning for Northern Ireland from 6pm Saturday to 3pm Sunday. Gusts of 50–60mph are expected, with 65–75mph in exposed areas.
One detail is worth knowing: because many trees are still in leaf, they catch more wind than they would in winter. The Met Office has warned that fallen branches and trees could block roads and railways, so it's worth paying extra attention to any trees near your home, car or fences.
Before the storm: get your home ready
Clear the garden. Anything loose can become a missile in strong winds. The Met Office's strong wind advice is to bring in or tie down bins, garden furniture, plant pots and ladders. Trampolines can be turned upside down or pegged down, and shed doors should be locked.
Close and fasten windows and doors. Pay particular attention to the side of the house facing the wind and to large doors such as garage doors. If your loft hatch can be bolted, bolt it. The Met Office advises this especially for roofs with a shallow pitch (under 30°).
Look at your roof from the ground. Check for slipped or missing tiles and slates, loose flashing around the chimney and anything that looks out of place. A pair of binoculars helps. Please don't climb up yourself, especially once the wind has started. If something looks loose, book a reputable roofer to look at it in calm weather.
Check the chimney. If you have a tall chimney stack in poor condition, the Met Office suggests moving beds away from the rooms directly beneath it until the storm has passed.
Clear gutters and drains. Both storms bring heavy rain as well as wind. Gutters and gullies blocked with autumn leaves will overflow, and that water can end up in your walls or under your doors.
Move the car. Park in a garage if you have one. If not, park away from trees, buildings, walls and fences.
Check whether you're at risk of flooding. In England you can check for flooding in your area and sign up for free flood warnings by text, phone or email. In Northern Ireland, nidirect has flooding advice. In Scotland, flood alerts come from SEPA's Floodline, and in Wales from Natural Resources Wales.
Prepare for a power cut
Power cuts are one of the most common effects of high winds, so it's worth having a few things ready:
- Charge your phone and any power banks the night before.
- Keep a torch with working batteries somewhere easy to find. Use torches rather than candles.
- Save 105 in your phone. It's the free number for reporting a power cut, and it puts you through to your local network operator, not the company you pay your bills to.
- If you lose power, switch off appliances at the socket (especially cookers, heaters and irons) but leave one light on, so you know when the power is back.
- Keep fridge and freezer doors closed to keep food cold for longer.
If you use a generator, never run it indoors or in a garage. Generators, along with gas heaters and barbecues, give off carbon monoxide, which you can't see or smell. The NHS lists the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, and every home with a fuel-burning appliance should have a working CO alarm.
Get your insurance details ready
It's much easier to sort this out now than after something has gone wrong.
- Find your home insurance policy number and the claims phone number, and save them in your phone.
- Check what your policy says about storm damage. Wording varies, and damage caused by gradual wear and tear (like a roof that was already in poor repair) is usually excluded.
- Take a few photos of your home as it is now: the roof, fences, windows and outbuildings. If you do need to claim, "before" photos make it much easier to show what the storm did.
We recommend using the Planna app to document all of your insurance policies in one safe place, using our in app Vault.
During the storm
The Met Office's stay safe in a storm guidance is clear:
- Stay indoors as much as you can.
- Don't go outside to fix damage while the storm is still going. Tiles, fence panels and gates can wait.
- If you do go out, avoid walking or sheltering close to buildings and trees, and keep away from the sheltered side of walls and fences. If they fail, that's the side they fall on.
- Use doors on the sheltered side of the house, and close internal doors behind you.
- Only drive if you really need to. Take extra care on exposed routes such as bridges, slow down and watch out for side winds.
After the storm
Once the wind has died down:
- Check your home from the ground first. Look for missing tiles, damaged flashing, leaning fences and cracked windows. Don't touch any fallen electrical or phone cables.
- Be careful around walls, trees and fences. They may have been weakened even if they're still standing.
- Photograph and video any damage before you tidy up, and keep damaged items until your insurer says you can throw them away.
- Make temporary repairs if it's safe to stop things getting worse, such as covering a broken window, and keep the receipts. Speak to your insurer before you agree to any permanent work.
- Check on your neighbours, especially anyone elderly or vulnerable, and help them arrange repairs if they need it.
If you're unhappy with how your insurer handles your claim, complain to them first. If that doesn't resolve it, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free.
Watch out for storm chasers
Bad weather brings out rogue traders. They work their way down streets after a storm, offering "urgent" roof repairs at inflated prices, often asking for cash up front. We covered the warning signs in our guide to how to spot a roofing scam.
The short version
- Check the Met Office warnings for your area.
- Tie down or bring in anything loose in the garden.
- Close and fasten windows and doors, and move the car away from trees.
- Clear gutters and drains ahead of the rain.
- Charge your phone, find a torch and save 105.
- Have your insurance details ready and take "before" photos.
- Stay inside while the storm passes, and only check for damage once it's safe.
Stay safe this weekend, and look after your home and your neighbours.
Storms find the weak spots in a home. Planna's HomeScore checks your home's safety, condition and energy and sets tailored maintenance tasks, so loose tiles and blocked gutters get sorted before the next storm.
