22 Oct Storm Austen advice
A Red Weather Warning has been issued for Friday 23 October with the latest forecasts predicting winds building overnight on Thursday 22 October, reaching gale force 9 by midnight.
The wind will peak at around storm force 10 with gusts to 90mph from 6am on Friday morning. The wind speed is expected to decrease from lunchtime onwards, remaining very windy into Saturday.
Ahead of this, the States of Guernsey have decided to close schools on Friday 23 October and other public service areas are being scaled back to essential services only.
The States have not currently issued a ‘stay at home’ message, but managers are being asked to make decisions about whether their service is essential – this includes shops.
With the wind peaking between 6am and 11am on Friday morning, retailers are advised to consider remaining closed until lunchtime. Alternative arrangements may also need to be made for people working late or overnight on Thursday to ensure they can get home safely before the storm reaches its peak.
Please keep an eye on the States of Guernsey website and social media for updates including on Facebook and X.