--- title: "Storm Austen batters Jersey with 80mph gusts and red warning" url: https://www.nsfw.info/storm-austen-batters-jersey-80mph-red-warning/ published: 2026-10-23T06:30:43+00:00 modified: 2026-10-23T06:30:43+00:00 author: "Chief Editor" categories: ["News"] image: https://www.nsfw.info/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/storm-austen-batters-jersey-80mph-red-warning-1024x572.webp summary: "Storm Austen has struck Jersey with an 80mph red wind warning, forcing the closure of the Airport, Harbour, schools, parks and a range of public services." publisher: NSFW (https://www.nsfw.info) --- # Storm Austen batters Jersey with 80mph gusts and red warning **In brief:** Storm Austen has struck Jersey with a Red Wind Warning, the highest possible category, forcing the closure of the Airport, Harbour, schools, parks and a range of public services. Gusts have topped 80mph this morning, with a severe gale F9 blowing from the northwest. Ports of Jersey is hoping the Harbour will reopen tomorrow, but travellers are urged to check directly with their airline or travel agent. ## Red Warning, Red Chaos Jersey has woken up to one of its more dramatic Fridays, with Storm Austen battering the island and shutting down much of daily life. A Red Wind Warning, the highest category available, is in place across the Channel Islands, with winds blowing from the northwest at a severe gale Force 9. Paul Aked, head of meteorology at Jersey Met, told the Jersey Evening Post that gale force winds were predicted to begin at midnight, with the peak of the storm arriving at 3am and continuing “for most of the working morning.” Gusts have topped 80mph this morning, with the potential to reach Force 10, or 85mph, at their strongest. By this afternoon, the island should see conditions ease to Force 7 with gusts to around 50mph, as Storm Austen blows itself out. Mr Aked noted that while Storm Austen is not as powerful as Storm Ciaran in 2023, or Storm Goretti earlier this year, islanders should still expect travel disruption as trees come down onto roads. His advice was straightforward: “If it’s possible, avoid outside activity, check the garden furniture, the trampoline, is tied down. Then think about our neighbours and colleagues. Make sure everyone’s safe and they’ve got what they need and that they’re at home.” ## Ports, Flights and Getting Around For anyone hoping to travel today, the news is not good. The Harbour shut at 6pm last night and will remain closed all day, with Ports of Jersey hoping to reopen it tomorrow. Flights have been cancelled, and a Ports of Jersey spokesperson said the organisation is “expecting severe disruption to flights and sailings.” Travellers are urged to “keep in close contact with your airline or travel agent for updates and information.” The decision to close schools was made on Wednesday, giving parents two days to arrange alternative childcare. It is the kind of forward planning that, when it works, goes largely unnoticed, but will have been quietly appreciated by working families across the island. ## Services Affected Across the Island The list of closures and disruptions is considerable. Among the services affected, the Jersey Evening Post reports: - The Airport and Harbour are closed, with severe disruption to flights and sailings expected throughout the day. - Howard Davis, Coronation and Sir Winston Churchill parks are shut until at least Saturday morning, pending a damage assessment. - Sports centres are closed until at least 3pm, with updates available via Active Jersey’s social media accounts. - La Collette recycling and green waste centre is closed all day. - Jersey and Western Libraries are shut this morning. - All Jersey Heritage sites are closed. Chief executive Jon Carter said the organisation’s “first priority is always the safety of our staff.” - CAMHS at Bermuda House is also closed. At the hospital, emergency, urgent and maternity services will operate as normal. However, islanders are asked to attend the emergency department only for serious illness or injury requiring emergency care. The ambulance service is also operating, but should only be called for life-threatening emergencies. Outpatient appointments will go ahead as planned, but patients are advised to attend only if it is safe to do so. ## The NSFW Perspective There is something almost reassuring about a good storm. It strips away the noise, cancels the meetings nobody wanted to attend, and reminds everyone that, whatever the politicians are arguing about this week, nature still holds the casting vote in Jersey. Storm Austen may not be the island’s worst in recent memory, but 80mph gusts and a closed harbour have a way of concentrating the mind wonderfully. The practical advice from Jersey Met is sensible and worth heeding. Tie down the trampoline, check on the neighbours, and stay indoors if you can. Jersey has weathered worse, and it will weather this. The parks will reopen, the ferries will sail again, and by the weekend, the main topic of conversation will probably be which garden fence came off worst. Stay safe out there. *Source: [Jersey Evening Post](https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2026/10/23/airport-harbour-and-other-closures-as-storm-austen-sweeps-over-jersey)*