Storm Austen followed by a very unsettled October Bank Holiday weekend
Introduction
Storm Austen, the first named storm of the 2026/2027 season, has been named by the UK Met Office. Storm Austen is forecast to track past Ireland’s south coast from Thursday evening to Friday morning, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to many areas. There is still some uncertainty in the exact track of the storm, which will affect where the heaviest rain and strongest winds will occur. A nationwide status yellow rain warning has been issued from Thursday evening through to Friday morning. These warnings may be updated in the coming days as new model runs are analysed and confidence in the track of the storm increases.
The unsettled weather will not end with Storm Austen. Another area of low pressure is forecast to track to the north of Ireland over the Bank Holiday weekend, with the potential for a further spell of wet and windy weather.
Meteorological Situation
Storm Austen will approach from the Atlantic and track past the south coast of Ireland towards the UK on Thursday evening and night. As the storm passes, it will steer heavy rain across the country with very strong and gusty northwesterly winds developing also. Small differences in the track of this low pressure system will make a difference to where the heaviest rain and strongest winds occur.
Figure 1: Track of Storm Austen
A nationwide status yellow rain warning has been issued from 7pm on Thursday (22nd October) to 8am Friday (23rd October) as heavy rain associated with Storm Austen will track eastwards across the country.
Figure 2: Status Yellow Rain Warning as of 1800 Tuesday 20th October
Widespread heavy rain is expected with potential for localised flooding, difficult travelling conditions and impacts to outdoor events. With ground already saturated, intense rainfall will run-off quickly, increasing the risk of flooding, especially in built-up and low-lying areas. Given uncertainty in the track of Storm Austen, more significant impacts are possible and updates to warnings are likely so keep up to date with the latest information over the coming days at met.ie.
Bank Holiday Outlook
Once Storm Austen clears on Friday, there will be a brief drier interlude. However, conditions will become very unsettled over the weekend.
Another area of low pressure is forecast to track to the north of Ireland through Saturday and Sunday. This will bring a further spell of rain across the country with potential for windy conditions too. We are also moving into a period of spring tides and combined with windy conditions, this may lead to coastal flooding in exposed low-lying areas.
Figure 3: Mean sea level pressure and precipitation valid at 0000 Sunday 25th October
Currently, there is uncertainty in how close to Ireland this system will pass and so the exact impact it will have on the country is not yet clear. However, all updates in the coming days can be found on met.ie.
HOW TO STAY SAFE IN SEVERE WEATHER – BE EMERGENCY READY
Stay up-to date with the forecast and the warnings for your county on met.ie, the Met Éireann app or Met Éireann socials (@meteireann).
Check in with your local authority and emergency management stakeholders (Irish Coast Guards, Gardaí, etc) via their websites and social channels to see how your area will be/is affected.
Ensure your mobile is phone is fully charged to enable communication in advance of the event and keep local emergency numbers in your phone.
Keep a small amount of food, medical and water supplies in case it’s dangerous to leave home.
While on the road in strong winds, beware of fallen trees or other debris and high sided vehicles, particularly when overtaking. If you are driving a high sided vehicle, try to anticipate exposed sections of roadway where winds will be stronger.
ESB Networks is highlighting the dangers posed by fallen live wires and advises the public and the emergency services to stay away from fallen cables and to report such cases immediately. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1800 372 999.
You can monitor powercheck.ie in regards to power restoration times
Advance planning for flooding: You can consult the OPW flood maps, which show areas that may be at risk of flooding based on historical data (see www.floodinfo.ie).
Stay away from coastal areas during the period. Remember the advice from the Irish Coast Guard: “Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry”.
Don’t try to walk, cycle or drive through flooded areas, the depth of the water can be deceiving.
Remember: As little as 150mm of fast-flowing water can knock you off your feet and 300mm of fast-flowing water can move most cars off the road.
“Be Emergency Ready”: Follow recommendations before, during and after the event on gov.ie – Be Emergency Ready (www.gov.ie)
NOTE THAT:
The warnings are likely to be updated. Please keep in touch with Met Éireann’s social media channels, www.met.ie and the Met Éireann app to stay up to date with the forecast and any warnings’ updates.
The timing and location of extreme weather occurrences can significantly affect their impact. It’s important to note that in any individual weather event, not every location within a warning area may experience the same degree of weather or impacts.
When severe weather is expected, weather and impacts at lower levels are also likely to be experienced. The type and level of impacts can be strongly affected by previous weather conditions. When issuing a warning, Met Éireann takes into consideration the forecasted conditions and thresholds, as well as previous weather conditions that may increase the level of impact expected for particular areas.
WHY AND HOW ARE STORMS NAMED?
Storms are named when they could cause ‘medium’ or ‘high’ impacts in one of the three partner countries. This enables consistent, authoritative messaging to the public and other stakeholders to help them to prepare for and stay safe during potentially severe weather events.
Since 2015, Met Éireann and the UK Met Office have been working together on the naming programme and were joined by the Netherlands’ KNMI in 2019, to form the ‘western group’ of European weather services.
When a storm is forecast, the national weather service that expects the biggest impact from the severe weather to hit its region, or is likely to be first affected by it, names the storm. Storm naming happens in conjunction with orange/red weather warnings, which could be for wind, rain or snow, or a combination of these conditions. Those warnings are, in turn, issued based on a combination of numerical thresholds and the potential impacts foreseen.
HOW ARE STORM NAMES CHOSEN?
Met Éireann, the UK Met Office and KNMI publish a new list of storm names for each Storm Season, which commences on 1st September.
This 2026/27 season, each of the three meteorological services contributed seven names to the season’s list. Four of Met Éireann’s names draw on the history of the service over the last 90 years (Austen, Evelyn, Kilian, Miriam), with the other three being drawn from the suggestions submitted by the public in 2025 (Heather, Laoise, Phelim).
The full 2026/27 list is Austen, Boelo [Boo-loh], Chloe, Dano, Evelyn, Finn, Gwendolyn, Heather, Ivy, Jake, Kilian, Laoise [Lee-sha], Miriam, Nicola, Olaf, Phelim [Fay-lim], Ruban, Shaun, Theo, Vesna, Wende [Vhen-duh].
Figure 4 – Storm Names 2026/27 list
(The names chosen by Met Éireann are in bold. Letters Q, U, X, Y, Z are not included, which is in line with the US National Hurricane Center naming convention).
Storm Austen followed by a very unsettled October Bank Holiday weekend
Introduction
Storm Austen, the first named storm of the 2026/2027 season, has been named by the UK Met Office. Storm Austen is forecast to track past Ireland’s south coast from Thursday evening to Friday morning, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to many areas. There is still some uncertainty in the exact track of the storm, which will affect where the heaviest rain and strongest winds will occur. A nationwide status yellow rain warning has been issued from Thursday evening through to Friday morning. These warnings may be updated in the coming days as new model runs are analysed and confidence in the track of the storm increases.
The unsettled weather will not end with Storm Austen. Another area of low pressure is forecast to track to the north of Ireland over the Bank Holiday weekend, with the potential for a further spell of wet and windy weather.
Meteorological Situation
Storm Austen will approach from the Atlantic and track past the south coast of Ireland towards the UK on Thursday evening and night. As the storm passes, it will steer heavy rain across the country with very strong and gusty northwesterly winds developing also. Small differences in the track of this low pressure system will make a difference to where the heaviest rain and strongest winds occur.
Figure 1: Track of Storm Austen
A nationwide status yellow rain warning has been issued from 7pm on Thursday (22nd October) to 8am Friday (23rd October) as heavy rain associated with Storm Austen will track eastwards across the country.
Figure 2: Status Yellow Rain Warning as of 1800 Tuesday 20th October
Widespread heavy rain is expected with potential for localised flooding, difficult travelling conditions and impacts to outdoor events. With ground already saturated, intense rainfall will run-off quickly, increasing the risk of flooding, especially in built-up and low-lying areas. Given uncertainty in the track of Storm Austen, more significant impacts are possible and updates to warnings are likely so keep up to date with the latest information over the coming days at met.ie.
Bank Holiday Outlook
Once Storm Austen clears on Friday, there will be a brief drier interlude. However, conditions will become very unsettled over the weekend.
Another area of low pressure is forecast to track to the north of Ireland through Saturday and Sunday. This will bring a further spell of rain across the country with potential for windy conditions too. We are also moving into a period of spring tides and combined with windy conditions, this may lead to coastal flooding in exposed low-lying areas.
Figure 3: Mean sea level pressure and precipitation valid at 0000 Sunday 25th October
Currently, there is uncertainty in how close to Ireland this system will pass and so the exact impact it will have on the country is not yet clear. However, all updates in the coming days can be found on met.ie.
HOW TO STAY SAFE IN SEVERE WEATHER – BE EMERGENCY READY
NOTE THAT:
The warnings are likely to be updated. Please keep in touch with Met Éireann’s social media channels, www.met.ie and the Met Éireann app to stay up to date with the forecast and any warnings’ updates.
The timing and location of extreme weather occurrences can significantly affect their impact. It’s important to note that in any individual weather event, not every location within a warning area may experience the same degree of weather or impacts.
When severe weather is expected, weather and impacts at lower levels are also likely to be experienced. The type and level of impacts can be strongly affected by previous weather conditions. When issuing a warning, Met Éireann takes into consideration the forecasted conditions and thresholds, as well as previous weather conditions that may increase the level of impact expected for particular areas.
WHY AND HOW ARE STORMS NAMED?
Storms are named when they could cause ‘medium’ or ‘high’ impacts in one of the three partner countries. This enables consistent, authoritative messaging to the public and other stakeholders to help them to prepare for and stay safe during potentially severe weather events.
Since 2015, Met Éireann and the UK Met Office have been working together on the naming programme and were joined by the Netherlands’ KNMI in 2019, to form the ‘western group’ of European weather services.
When a storm is forecast, the national weather service that expects the biggest impact from the severe weather to hit its region, or is likely to be first affected by it, names the storm. Storm naming happens in conjunction with orange/red weather warnings, which could be for wind, rain or snow, or a combination of these conditions. Those warnings are, in turn, issued based on a combination of numerical thresholds and the potential impacts foreseen.
HOW ARE STORM NAMES CHOSEN?
Met Éireann, the UK Met Office and KNMI publish a new list of storm names for each Storm Season, which commences on 1st September.
This 2026/27 season, each of the three meteorological services contributed seven names to the season’s list. Four of Met Éireann’s names draw on the history of the service over the last 90 years (Austen, Evelyn, Kilian, Miriam), with the other three being drawn from the suggestions submitted by the public in 2025 (Heather, Laoise, Phelim).
The full 2026/27 list is Austen, Boelo [Boo-loh], Chloe, Dano, Evelyn, Finn, Gwendolyn, Heather, Ivy, Jake, Kilian, Laoise [Lee-sha], Miriam, Nicola, Olaf, Phelim [Fay-lim], Ruban, Shaun, Theo, Vesna, Wende [Vhen-duh].
Figure 4 – Storm Names 2026/27 list
(The names chosen by Met Éireann are in bold. Letters Q, U, X, Y, Z are not included, which is in line with the US National Hurricane Center naming convention).
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