Storm Austen to bring 130km/h gusts, rail disruption to Brittany
Storm Austen is forecast to cross the English Channel on Friday with gusts up to 130km/h, prompting rail suspensions and an orange wind alert in western France.
Storm Austen is forecast to cross the English Channel on Friday, 23 October, bringing gusts of up to 130km/h to France's most exposed coasts, French forecaster La Chaine Meteo said. Five western departments, Cotes-d'Armor, Finistere, Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine and Manche, will be placed under an orange wind alert for Friday, Meteo-France said.
Waves of 6 to 9 metres are expected, along with heavy rain, as a powerful jet stream fuels what forecasters called a weather bomb. The first gusts are due in the second half of Thursday night on the Brittany peninsula and the Cotentin, reaching 100-120km/h and locally up to 130km/h on exposed headlands, before the strongest winds move towards Pas-de-Calais and the North Sea in the afternoon.
SNCF said rail services will be completely suspended on Normandy lines from Friday to Saturday, and partially suspended on Brittany and northern lines, with further disruption expected on Saturday. Several TGV, OUIGO and regional trains to and from Rennes have already been rerouted or had their terminus changed, according to SNCF service alerts.
Follow this story
An email when there is a real update (a new toll, a cause, an arrest). Nothing else; stop with one click.
Free: one story at a time. Members follow as many stories as they like.
What we know
- Storm Austen is forecast to bring gusts of up to 130km/h to western France on Friday, 23 October, forecasters said.
- Five departments, Cotes-d'Armor, Finistere, Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine and Manche, are under an orange wind alert for Friday, Meteo-France said.
- Waves of 6 to 9 metres are expected on exposed coasts.
- SNCF will fully suspend rail services on Normandy lines from Friday to Saturday, and partially suspend Brittany and northern lines.
Why it matters for Europe
Road traffic disruption, power cuts and property damage are expected as the storm crosses the coast, and rail suspensions on Normandy's lines could affect journeys into the weekend.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- SNCF GTFS-RT Service Alerts + SIRI-SX Lite: SNCF service alert: Please note that your TGV INOUI train has its terminus station in Rennes. — The exceptional weather conditions caused by Storm AUSTEN are causing significant disruptions in Brittany through the end of the day. To ensure the safety of passengers and staff, service adjustments are
- SNCF GTFS-RT Service Alerts + SIRI-SX Lite: SNCF service alert: Please note that your TGV INOUI departs from Rennes. — The exceptional weather conditions caused by Storm AUSTEN are causing significant disruptions in Brittany through the end of the day. To ensure the safety of passengers and staff, service adjustments are being implemented due
- SNCF GTFS-RT Service Alerts + SIRI-SX Lite: SNCF service alert: Please note: Your OUIGO train departs from Rennes. — The exceptional weather conditions caused by Storm AUSTEN are causing significant disruptions in Brittany through the end of the day. To ensure the safety of passengers and staff, service adjustments are being implemented due t
- SNCF GTFS-RT Service Alerts + SIRI-SX Lite: SNCF service alert: Please note: Your OUIGO train's Terminus station is Rennes. — The exceptional weather conditions caused by Storm AUSTEN are causing significant disruptions in Brittany. To ensure the safety of passengers and staff, service adjustments are being implemented due to these rapidly ch
- Le Figaro: «Bombe météorologique», vents «violents» jusqu’à 130 km/h, trafic ferroviaire perturbé… la tempête Austen s’apprête à frapper la France
Source balance
PremiumSee how the 4 outlets behind this story spread from left to right, and which are official or OSINT sources.
Free during the launch: create an account →Log inHow we rate sources
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, 3 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Launch offer: free for members until 31 October 2026
Questions and answers
- When will Storm Austen hit France?
- It is forecast to cross the Channel on Friday, 23 October, with the strongest winds reaching the coast overnight Thursday into Friday.
- How strong will the winds be?
- Gusts of up to 130km/h are forecast on the most exposed coasts, according to French forecasters.
- What rail disruption is expected?
- SNCF will fully suspend services on Normandy lines from Friday to Saturday and partially suspend Brittany and northern lines, with further disruption possible on Saturday.
This article was written with AI assistance from 8 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.