Storm Darragh has unleashed fury across the UK, with staggering gusts reaching 93mph.
Millions are being advised to hunker down as the storm has left many without electricity, disrupted train services and prompted a government-issued “risk to life” warning. The emergency alarm became active at 1am on Saturday in conjunction with the Met Office’s uncommon red alert for wind hitting portions of Wales and South West England.
This activation marked the most extensive usage of the alert system to date, suggesting that residents avoid travel and seek shelter indoors where possible.
On Sky News, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds termed the weather event a “challenging situation”.
He said: “About three million homes will have had the emergency alert system to their mobile phone. I would just encourage anyone who has had that to follow the advice.”
Further urging caution, he said, “Where you can, stay inside, don’t put yourself at risk, and just follow the advice at all times.”
An important message was dispatched via the Cabinet Office’s emergency alert framework to every compatible mobile device within the designated danger zones, offering specific details about the red warning and instructions on remaining secure.
The notification caused phones to emit a sharp, siren-like noise for around ten seconds even if set to silent with additional vibration, although there were reports of some recipients missing the alert.
The Met Office has confirmed to the PA news agency that overnight wind gusts reached up to 93mph in Capel Curig, North Wales, and 92mph in Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula. Other parts of Wales experienced winds exceeding 80mph, while gusts of up to 77mph were recorded in Northern Ireland and south-west England, according to the forecaster.
Tom Morgan from the Met Office stated that as of 7am, the storm was at its peak, but higher wind speeds are “possible” later in the morning. The storm’s centre, where winds are calmer, was over north-east England.
Power outages affected thousands of people in Northern Ireland, England, and Wales. The Energy Networks Association reported that around 86,000 homes in England, Scotland, and Wales were without power as of 9am.
A spokesperson revealed that approximately 385,000 customers had been reconnected overnight, with more than 1,000 engineers on standby for deployment.
National Grid announced that as of 8am, over 55,000 customers across the South West, south Wales, and the west Midlands were off supply due to Storm Darragh, with the majority of these being in south Wales. Meanwhile, about 376,000 customers have had their power restored by its teams since the storm began.
Northern Ireland Electricity Network’s website noted that the authority could not provide estimated restoration times.
“Due to the number of faults we are currently experiencing on the network, we are unable to provide an estimated restoration time for your electricity supply at this time,” the statement said.
“We are working to restore supplies as quickly and safely as possible.”
National Highways has reported that both the Prince of Wales Bridge, M4, and the Severn Bridge, M48crucial links between South West England and Wales are closed owing to strong winds.
Network Rail Wales announced that due to a fallen tree, all train services on the North Wales Coast Line have been suspended until further notice.
In addition, National Highways has informed that the QEII Bridge at Dartford Crossing in the South East of England is also shut because of strong winds.
The highly anticipated Merseyside Premier League derby between Everton and Liverpool, which was scheduled to take place at Goodison Park at lunchtime, has been postponed.
Following Friday’s red weather warning from the Met Office the utmost severe alert indicating expected dangerous conditions people are being urged to act to ensure safety.
This urgent warning has resulted in the cancellation of several events, including Christmas festivities, and remains effective from 3am to 11am on Saturday.
With “damaging winds” and gusts possibly reaching 90mph over coastal and hilly regions of West and South Wales, the Met Office has cautioned the public.
However, forecasters expect that the strongest winds may begin to abate by late morning.
An amber warning, spanning from southern Scotland to Cornwall along the UK’s west coast and including Northern Ireland, is in effect from 1am to 9pm. The alert warns of potential life-threatening hazards such as flying debris and falling trees, while large waves could hurl beach material onto coastal roads and seafronts.
Structural damage is also a concern, with roofs potentially being blown off and power lines downed, leading to power cuts that could disrupt services like mobile phone coverage.
Dublin airport has confirmed the diversion of several flights originally destined for other airports due to the season’s fourth named storm. Numerous British Airways flights to and from Heathrow, Paris, the United States, and the Netherlands have been cancelled.
Storm Darragh is forecasted to bring heavy rainfall over the weekend, prompting 11 flood warnings in England on Saturday morning. An amber rain warning is in place in Wales from 3am to 6pm on Saturday, with the expected heavy downpour likely causing disruptions to transport and infrastructure.
A yellow rain warning has been issued for Northern Ireland and Wales, both previously severely affected by flooding during Storm Bert, as well as parts of Scotland from 3pm on Friday until noon on Saturday.
The Met Office predicts periods of heavy rain in south and mid-Wales throughout Saturday, with an estimated 20-30mm of rainfall expected within three to six hours.
The Met Office has warned that rainfall totals could reach 80-90mm by the evening, equivalent to half a month’s worth of rain in a single day.
They reported that since Friday afternoon, parts of Cumbria have seen 55mm of rain, while south Wales experienced 44mm.
National Rail has cautioned that the storm is likely to disrupt services across the entire network. They advised passengers to fully check their journey before travelling as the last services of the day may be cancelled.
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