Storm Austen Triggers Orange Wind Warnings in Brittany, Normandy
Météo-France placed five departements in Brittany and Normandy under an Orange, level 3, wind warning as Storm Austen approached, beginning at 6 a.m. local time (4 a.m. UTC) Oct. 22, 2026.
The first warning covers Côtes d'Armor, Finistère and Morbihan and runs through midnight. A second Orange warning follows immediately, widening the warned area to all five departements by adding Ille-et-Vilaine and Manche, and stays in force from that midnight through midnight Oct. 24, 2026.
Météo-France said a depression was deepening in the Iroise Sea, off western Brittany, before moving between southern England and the English Channel coast through Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, with gusts forecast to exceed 100 kph over northern Brittany and reach 70 to 90 kph further south, as the storm continued on toward the Benelux countries and northern Germany.
France's national weather service, Météo-France, rates the warning Orange, the third step on its alert scale, with severity "Severe." Its own safety instructions read: "I protect my house and any property exposed to the wind. I keep myself informed of the authorities' instructions. I limit my movements. I look out for falling trees and objects. I do not go on roofs. I install power generators outside the house."
