Households in UK urged to fill freezers before Friday
Households in southern parts of the UK are being urged to fill their freezers before Friday to prepare for possible power cuts as Storm Austen sweeps across the country. The storm is forecast to bring strong winds of between 50 and 60mph to southern areas, while gusts of up to 70mph are possible along exposed coasts. A yellow weather warning for wind is in force from midnight until midday on Friday, October 23, and covers most of South West England, London and South East England, as well as southern Wales. The Met Office says households within the warning areas should brace for travel disruption, power cuts and mobile phone outages, and a chance of injuries from flying debris in places.
TL;DR
- Storm Austen is forecast to bring winds of 50-60mph to southern UK, with gusts up to 70mph on exposed coasts.
- A yellow weather warning for wind is in effect from midnight to midday on Friday, October 23.
- Affected areas include South West England, London, South East England, and southern Wales.
- Residents should prepare for travel disruption, power cuts, and mobile phone outages.
- Filling freezers is recommended as frozen food retains cold temperatures longer during power outages.
- A full freezer can keep food frozen for up to 48 hours during a power cut, compared to 24 hours for a half-full one.