By Karim Hammam
The UK is set for a dramatic change in weather after storms Austen and Boelo battered the country with wind and rain, leaving three people dead. The Met Office says high pressure will bring drier conditions but also a new hazard: dense, stubborn fog.
High pressure brings drier conditions
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said the UK would see a "big flip in the weather" over the next 48 hours as high pressure replaces the low-pressure systems that caused "disturbed and unsettled" weather. "We're saying goodbye to the low pressure and saying hello again to high pressure," he said.
Fog risk replaces wind and rain
The calmer conditions will bring dense fog patches that could disrupt morning journeys. Wednesday will remain fairly blustery with scattered showers before winds drop in the evening. By Thursday morning, parts of southern and central UK could wake to dense fog that will be slow to clear, typical for this time of year.
Three deaths during stormy spell
The fatalities occurred during a wet and windy spell that began last Thursday. Two men were killed by falling trees on Sunday: a man in his 20s in Finchley, north London, and Richard Baines, 60, in Dumfries and Galloway. A woman in her 50s died after being pulled from the sea off the Isle of Wight on Monday; she was walking her dog when caught by waves on the revetment between Sandown and Shanklin. Her dog survived.
Storm details and rainfall records
Storm Austen hit Cornwall and Wales hardest, bringing a maximum gust of 69 knots (about 79 mph) to the Isle of Wight. Storm Boelo bore down on Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, with wind speeds reaching the low 80s mph in exposed areas. Heavy rain accompanied both storms: Abbey St Bathans in Berwickshire recorded 77.6 mm during Austen, while Ross and Cromarty recorded 134.4 mm during Boelo.
Weekend outlook and flood warnings
Next weekend is expected to be very different, with much of England and Wales staying dry into early November, though weather fronts may still bring rain to Scotland and Northern Ireland. The main disruption risk over the next five days will be dense fog rather than wind and rain. Coastal areas have been urged to remain vigilant for flooding as wind warnings were lifted. The Scottish Government held a resilience meeting on Tuesday and maintains a yellow flood risk for northern mainland Scotland and the Northern Isles through Wednesday.
