Brighton Emergency Shelter: When SWEP Opens After Storm Austen

Brighton's severe weather shelter opens below 0°C or on an amber warning. Storm Austen and Storm Boelo were yellow. Here is how it works and how to help.

Tim

Published 22:10, Tuesday, 27 October 2026 · Updated 01:56, Thursday, 29 October 20263 min read

Rough grey sea and breaking waves seen from above the Brighton seafront, with a Victorian hotel on the left, on a stormy day.

Brighton and Hove City Council opens its severe weather emergency shelter, known as SWEP, when the temperature is predicted to drop below 0°C or when an amber weather warning is issued. The Met Office warnings that covered Brighton and Hove during Storm Austen on Friday 23 October 2026 and Storm Boelo on Saturday 24 October were both yellow, which is a level below amber.

So neither storm met the trigger on the council’s page. Here is how the shelter works, what the warnings were, and how to help someone who is sleeping rough as the weather turns colder.

Brighton’s emergency shelter at a glance: it opens when the temperature is predicted below 0°C or on an amber weather warning, Storm Austen and Storm Boelo were yellow warnings, and anyone who sees someone sleeping rough can tell StreetLink — Brighton’s emergency shelter (SWEP) at a glance. Source: Brighton & Hove City Council and the Met Office.

When the shelter opens

The triggers: The council’s page says it opens a severe weather shelter when the temperature is predicted to drop below 0°C or when there is an amber weather warning. A council release from December 2025 words the cold trigger as a forecast that feels like 0°C or below, and says an amber or red warning also counts.

Who it is for: The council says SWEP provides shelter for all rough sleepers in the city, and that venues are made available to meet demand. When it is triggered, the Street Outreach Service is out on the streets directing people to shelter.

How it works: The December 2025 release describes a venue with self-contained rooms and extra shared space if demand is high. It says access is arranged through the street outreach service, run by Change Grow Live, which contacts known rough sleepers to offer warm accommodation.

What the warnings were

Storm Austen: The Met Office named Storm Austen on Tuesday 20 October and issued a yellow wind warning for southern England and south Wales for Friday 23 October. On Wednesday 21 October it announced an amber wind warning, which covered the whole of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and parts of West Devon.

Storm Boelo: On Saturday 24 October the Met Office issued a yellow rain warning for Brighton and Hove, valid from 11am to 11pm, for heavy rain and surface water flooding. Its amber wind warnings for that storm were in Scotland, northern England and parts of Northern Ireland.

ImJustBrighton note: Read our reports on Storm Austen in Sussex and the Storm Boelo rain warning for Brighton and Hove.

If you see someone sleeping rough

Tell StreetLink: The council asks people to report concerns, including about people in tents, through streetlink.org.uk. The council’s street outreach team then makes contact to offer support and housing help.

If you are at risk of homelessness: The council says help is available to anyone at risk, including action to stop homelessness, help to keep or secure a home, and a personalised housing plan. You can read how the council helps people living on the streets on its shelter page.

Christmas shelter: Last year the council opened a warm shelter from the evening of 24 December until the morning of 27 December, day and night with on-site support, and again on New Year’s Eve night. Outside those dates it ran SWEP.