Millions of residents in Wales and south-west England have been urged to stay indoors as Storm Darragh unleashes life-threatening winds reaching speeds of up to 91 mph. The Met Office issued its highest-level red warning, effective from 03:00 to 11:00 GMT on Saturday, covering western and southern Wales and the Bristol Channel coast. This warning signals a severe threat to life and significant disruptions.
Widespread Power Cuts and Disruptions
Tens of thousands of homes have already been affected by power outages. As of 06:00 GMT, over 22,000 properties in Wales and more than 12,000 in the Midlands and south-west England were reported by National Grid to be without power.
Travel has also been severely impacted. Bristol Airport offered warnings about the anticipated disruption while advising passengers to check their flight status on the websites of airlines. Cardiff Airport has temporarily halted operations until further notice during the period of the red warning, advising passengers to check with local airlines for updates on their respective flights. The M4 Prince of Wales Bridge and the M48 Severn Bridge both remain closed due to adverse conditions, especially since these are two major bridges that link the rest of England and south Wales.
On Friday evening, approximately 3 million people received the government’s emergency alert urging them to get ready for the impending storm. It advised gathering such items as torches, batteries, or power banks and warned that staying outdoors when the winds were high could lead to severe injuries.
This was marked by the largest activation of the UK’s emergency warning system. The alert was designed to sound a siren-like note for about 10 seconds, making it apparent that there is going to be a severe storm.
The extreme weather resulted in many events getting canceled. All domestic football and rugby matches in Wales scheduled for Saturday have been called off, including Cardiff City’s Championship clash against Watford.
Northern Ireland has also been affected, with Christmas markets in Belfast and events like the Enchanted Winter Garden at Antrim Castle Gardens canceled for the weekend. London’s Royal Parks, including the popular Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, will remain closed on Saturday.
In addition to high winds, Storm Darragh is expected to bring heavy rainfall, raising concerns of flooding. England has issued 120 flood alerts, and Wales, still recovering from Storm Bert’s flooding last month, has 55 active alerts. The already saturated ground heightens the risk of waterlogging in many areas.
Fourth Storm of the Season
Storm Darragh is the fourth named storm of the season, following Bert and Conall, which caused severe flooding and damage last month. While amber weather warnings remain in place for parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, and western England, other regions face lower-level yellow warnings through the weekend.
The Met Office continues to monitor the storm as winds are expected to peak in the coming hours, urging residents to prioritize safety by remaining indoors.
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