Brits urged to keep gardens clear as mega Storm Austen forecast to blast UK with 70mph gusts in just days

Brits urged to keep gardens clear as mega Storm Austen forecast to blast UK with 70mph gusts in just days Storm Austen has finally been named and is set to bear down on Britain on Friday, following several days of rainfall that could lead to flood risks, a forecaster has warned A forecaster has warned Brits to prepare ahead of a deluge due to be unleashed by Storm Austen later this week. Storm Austen is set to unleash 70mph winds in coastal areas while other affected regions could see gusts of between 50mph to 60mph. A yellow wind warning is in place for the South West of England, southern England and parts of southern Wales on Friday. The warning highlights the risk of travel disruption, power cuts as well as a chance of injuries from falling debris. British Weather Services' senior meteorologist Jim Dale issued a warning to Brits who might be caught unaware by the new storm season. Speaking to The Mirror, he warned people living in areas at risk of being hit by the brunt of Storm Austen to be aware of any loose objects that could get flung through the air by gusts, the risk posed by debris from trees and whether their area could be seriously impacted. "It could well happened at the worst possible time, which is rush hour on Friday morning," Mr Dale said. "People planning travel for Thursday night and through Friday, they might actually have a rethink saying, 'Okay, we won't have that meeting on Friday in London, we'll have it on Monday instead." Mr Dale encouraged people to keep informed about Storm Austen and prepare by securing any items that might be loose around their home. "First of all, shift anything that can fly around the garden, from wherever it happens to be. "It's time to bring all of that stuff in that they used during the summertime, and even during the warm autumn time. From that point onwards, it's a monitoring situation. "It means looking at local forecasts, making sure that you are aware of what the likely fallouts are going to be in your region." But Mr Dale shared concerns about the rainfall in the days leading up to Friday, fearing some regions could become waterlogged. "I know we haven't seen a great deal of rain, but these two days of rain that we're in, it's significant. The Thursday night to Friday morning one could create some localised flooding." The Met Office warned London, the South East, South West of England, southern Wales and Herefordshire could bear the brunt of the storm. It's yellow wind warning is in place from 12am on Friday until 12am the same day. "While the 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," said Met Office deputy chief forecaster Tom Crabtree. "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." Storm Austen's impact is expected to wane late on Friday as it moves into the North Sea. Further periods of wind and rain are expected over the weekend and into the next week, with the heaviest rain more likely in western areas.