Scotland is set to be battered by severe gales with gusts reaching up to 80mph in parts of the Hebrides this weekend, following the impacts of Storm Austen. The Met Office has issued a yellow rain warning for several regions, with forecasters predicting persistent heavy rain and potential flooding.
Storm Austen's Impact and Scotland's Wet Forecast
Storm Austen, the first named storm of the 2026 season, is expected to bring wind gusts of up to 70mph to Wales and southern England. Meanwhile, Scotland is forecast to experience wetter conditions, with flood warnings issued for south, central and eastern areas on Friday, October 23, and into Saturday, October 24.
Many regions are expected to face up to 21 hours of persistent heavy rain. While Storm Austen is set to weaken by Saturday, another area of low pressure is predicted to bring strong winds, with some models suggesting gusts of 70-80mph in the Hebrides.
Severe Gales Predicted for the Weekend
Meteorologists at STV weather have noted that these severe windy conditions have yet to be named as a storm, but the gales are still expected to affect the country. They stated: "While Scotland misses the worst of the winds from Austen, a separate system will bring strong winds here through the weekend – especially Saturday afternoon through to Sunday morning."
According to Met Office weather maps, windy conditions are expected to pick up throughout Saturday, with gales peaking in the early hours of Sunday morning (October 25). The islands of Tiree and Benbecula are predicted to receive gusts of 80mph at around 3am.
Regional Wind Speeds and Yellow Rain Warning
The Hebrides weekend forecast currently reads: "Stormy over the weekend, rain spreading east on Saturday, heavy at times accompanied by gales or severe gale. Rain turning showery Sunday. Perhaps a brighter day Monday with lighter winds."
Scots in Stranraer and Fort William may experience gusts of up to 69mph in the early hours of the morning. Winds will continue throughout Sunday, with the Central Belt, Highlands and Grampian experiencing maximum gusts of 60mph. These winds are expected to calm down during Sunday evening before becoming lighter on Monday, October 26.
The severe wind warning follows a yellow rain alert issued by the Met Office for the east, central and south of Scotland from 6am on Friday until 3am on Saturday. The warning reads: "An area of heavy rain will develop across southern and central areas of Scotland before dawn Friday in association with Storm Austen, extending over northeast Scotland during the morning and early afternoon."
"Accumulations of 20-40 mm are expected widely within the warning area through this period, with 60-80 mm possible in some locations, bringing flooding and travel disruption in a few places. The rain will turn lighter and clear from the west through the evening and overnight."
Areas impacted by Friday's yellow warning include Central, Tayside & Fife (Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Falkirk, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling), Grampian (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray), Strathclyde (East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire), and SW Scotland, Lothian Borders (Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian Council, Scottish Borders, West Lothian).
