A summary of today’s developments
A man in his 40s has died during Storm Darragh on Saturday after a tree fell on to his van while he was driving on a dual carriageway, Lancashire police said. Police said emergency services were called at around 9am on Saturday after the incident on the A59 at Longton near to the Lancashire police’s headquarters.
The Energy Networks Association said 177,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales are without power. A spokesperson said about 768,000 customers have been reconnected on Saturday, with more than 1,000 engineers ready to be deployed.
The strongest gust thus far has been 96mph recorded at Berry Head in Devon, according to the Met Office.
As of 11.30am on Saturday, 325,000 homes, farms and businesses across Ireland were without power as a result of the storm, said ESB Networks. At 7am, the number stood at approximately 395,000 customers. ESB Networks have said full restoration is expected to take several days.
Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said about 46,000 customers were without power on Saturday morning after a night of high winds. NIE Networks added this number could continue to rise. It said damage including broken overhead power lines, fallen trees across lines and broken poles will require repair work expected to continue into Sunday.
Wind gusts reached 93mph, the Met Office said on Saturday, with the strongest being recorded in Capel Curig in north Wales.
A major incident has been declared in parts of Wales because of disruption from Storm Darragh. Dyfed-Powys police said it was continuing to experience high volumes of calls about fallen trees and poor driving conditions.
A number of rail services and flights were disrupted by Storm Darragh and some roads were closed due to fallen trees on Saturday. Air traffic control provider Nats said on Saturday morning that temporary air traffic restrictions were in place at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
Trains and some bus services in Northern Ireland were suspended on Saturday until further notice.
The Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool was postponed on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions. The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park was due to kick off at 12.30pm. A number of other football fixtures were postponed too, while Saturday afternoon’s race meetings at both Aintree and Chepstow was called off due to the strong winds.
Storm Darragh has had “very significant effects in many parts of Wales, including on transport, energy infrastructure and property”, the Welsh first minister and her deputy have said. In a joint statement from Eluned Morgan and Huw Irranca-Davies on Saturday, they said “people should be vigilant as the effects of Storm Darragh may be felt for some days yet”.
Storm Darragh has also brought travel disruption to Scotland, with wind and rain battering much of the country. The train line between Ayr and Girvan was shut after a large tree fell on to the tracks, while snow gates were closed on roads in the north-east of Scotland. An amber wind warning is in place for parts of Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire until 9pm on Saturday. Heavy wind and rain are also expected along the east coast of Scotland into Saturday night.
Storm Darragh is also expected to bring heavy rain over the weekend, with 15 flood warnings in place in England on Saturday. The Environment Agency said river flooding is likely in parts of Hereford. An amber warning for rain is in place in Wales from 3am to 6pm on Saturday with heavy rain likely to lead to disruption to transport and infrastructure. A yellow warning for rain is in place for Northern Ireland and Wales, both of which were badly affected by flooding during Storm Bert.
The Met Office said periods of heavy rain in south and mid-Wales through Saturday are likely, with totals of 80-90mm are possible by the evening, which is about half a month’s worth of rain in one day.
In London, all eight of the royal parks were closed due to severe wind gusts.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for strong winds across England and Wales on Sunday. The yellow weather warning will be in place from 6am on Sunday until 6pm.
Updated
A fan of Everton football club who travelled from South Africa said his lifelong dream to watch his team play was “shattered” after the final league Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was postponed due to Storm Darragh.
High winds and rain have battered the west coast and the decision to call off the lunchtime kick-off between Everton and Liverpool was made early on Saturday morning.
Gareth Clark, 29, told the PA news agency he arrived in the UK from Cape Town on November 27 and has been staying in London, Liverpool and Edinburgh since then, with the Merseyside derby the highlight of his trip.
“It has been my lifelong dream to come and watch Everton, and I finally saved enough money to come and watch my first derby – and, of course, the final derby at Goodison. Also my first time that I have managed to come to the UK,” he said.
Clark, a teacher, said he spent a “vast amount” of money on the trip, including around £750 on flights.
“More than the money, it is my lifelong dream that was shattered when I heard the news this morning,” he said.
Updated
James Woodbine was woken up by Storm Darragh at 5am, roughly the time the power cut began. His 300-year-old cottage is at the top of a hill in Trofarth in north Wales where yesterday’s winds were fiercest, measured at 93mph nearby in Capel Curig.
“The noise was the strangest thing,” Woodbine said. “There was a thrum coming from the ground, a rumble going through the building whenever there was a gust. I’ve never heard that before. I’ve been here for 30 years and we had Storm Doris come through in 2017, and this is far worse. I’ve never seen a storm like it.”
Woodbine is one of the hundreds of thousands of people across Britain and Ireland who were affected by Storm Darragh, which was so serious that the Met Office issued a red wind warning, alerting people of the threat to life – only the 19th since 2011.
One man in his 40s died after a tree fell on his van as he was driving along a dual carriageway section of the A59 in Longton, near Preston. At 3am, as winds were gathering pace, a Translink airport express bus left the road and collided with a wall near Antrim in Northern Ireland, and the driver was taken to hospital.
Updated
Updated
Updated
There are currently 27 flood warnings and 142 flood alerts in the UK, according to the government.
There are a number of flood alerts in place across Yorkshire and the North East today.
— Environment Agency - Yorkshire & North East (@EnvAgencyYNE) December 7, 2024
⚠️Please stay safe and don't walk or drive through flood water
⚠️Remember to sign up for flood warnings and check your flood risk: https://t.co/LApwdNFOWS #StormDarragh pic.twitter.com/iiJk9wzCNo
The strongest gust thus far has been 96mph recorded at Berry Head in Devon, according to the Met Office.
Capel Curig in Conwy, Wales, recorded 93 mph with 92mph in Aberaeron in west Wales.
A restaurant manager in Somerset said he was worried for people’s safety after Storm Darragh caused the roof of a nearby building to partly detach.
Part of Knightstone Road in Weston Super Mare was closed to pedestrians and traffic after pieces of an RNLI station were left flapping around in the strong winds.
Jimi, 33, who was working in the Il Michelangelo restaurant situated on the road, told the PA news agency: “If [the roof] does come off, God knows where it’s going to land. Hopefully it rips off smoothly and goes on the floor without causing any damage to anybody. We are worried for people more (than the restaurant).”
A number of local businesses on the Weston Super Mare parade were closed on Saturday while others had signs in their windows stating they would open in the evening.
Updated
Here is the latest from the Met Office on the ferocious winds sweeping parts of the country.
Winds have now eased across Northern Ireland, southwest Scotland and in parts of northwest England
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 7, 2024
However, strong winds continue and an Amber Wind Warning remains in place through this evening for much of Wales, southwest England, Merseyside and Cheshire⚠️
Latest info 👉… pic.twitter.com/f21sSdXz9g
The owners of Llandudno Pier in North Wales said it will cost £250,000 to repair the tourist attraction.
Paul Williams, general manager of the pier, told the PA news agency: “Overnight one of the kiosks, one of the original ones, which is roughly 148 years old was ripped up.
“It’s the first time in its history that it has been tipped to one side.
“The ice cream stand at the end of the pier has been ripped up and it went into the sea and there are about a thousand pieces washed up on the other side of the bay.
“The roof has come off the toilet and there’s real fear that we’ll potentially lose the bar and cafe down the end as well.”
He added: “Repair-wise you’re looking at about £250,000, easy.
“Potentially we may have to look at the pier not reopening for a considerable amount of time.”
Summary of the day so far
Here is a summary of the latest events related to Storm Darragh:
A man in his 40s has died during Storm Darragh on Saturday after a tree fell on to his van while he was driving on a dual carriageway, Lancashire police said. Police said emergency services were called at around 9am on Saturday after the incident on the A59 at Longton near to the Lancashire police’s headquarters.
The Energy Networks Association said 177,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales are without power. A spokesperson said about 768,000 customers have been reconnected on Saturday, with more than 1,000 engineers ready to be deployed.
As of 11.30am on Saturday, 325,000 homes, farms and businesses across Ireland were without power as a result of the storm, said ESB Networks. At 7am, the number stood at approximately 395,000 customers. ESB Networks have said full restoration is expected to take several days.
Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said about 46,000 customers were without power on Saturday morning after a night of high winds. NIE Networks added this number could continue to rise. It said damage including broken overhead power lines, fallen trees across lines and broken poles will require repair work expected to continue into Sunday.
Wind gusts reached 93mph, the Met Office said on Saturday, with the strongest being recorded in Capel Curig in north Wales.
A major incident has been declared in parts of Wales because of disruption from Storm Darragh. Dyfed-Powys police said it was continuing to experience high volumes of calls about fallen trees and poor driving conditions.
A number of rail services and flights were disrupted by Storm Darragh and some roads were closed due to fallen trees on Saturday. Air traffic control provider Nats said on Saturday morning that temporary air traffic restrictions were in place at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
Trains and some bus services in Northern Ireland were suspended on Saturday until further notice.
The Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool was postponed on Saturday due to adverse weather conditions. The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park was due to kick off at 12.30pm. A number of other football fixtures were postponed too, while Saturday afternoon’s race meetings at both Aintree and Chepstow was called off due to the strong winds.
Storm Darragh has had “very significant effects in many parts of Wales, including on transport, energy infrastructure and property”, the Welsh first minister and her deputy have said. In a joint statement from Eluned Morgan and Huw Irranca-Davies on Saturday, they said “people should be vigilant as the effects of Storm Darragh may be felt for some days yet”.
Storm Darragh has also brought travel disruption to Scotland, with wind and rain battering much of the country. The train line between Ayr and Girvan was shut after a large tree fell on to the tracks, while snow gates were closed on roads in the north-east of Scotland. An amber wind warning is in place for parts of Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire until 9pm on Saturday. Heavy wind and rain are also expected along the east coast of Scotland into Saturday night.
Storm Darragh is also expected to bring heavy rain over the weekend, with 15 flood warnings in place in England on Saturday. The Environment Agency said river flooding is likely in parts of Hereford. An amber warning for rain is in place in Wales from 3am to 6pm on Saturday with heavy rain likely to lead to disruption to transport and infrastructure. A yellow warning for rain is in place for Northern Ireland and Wales, both of which were badly affected by flooding during Storm Bert. In parts of Scotland a yellow weather warning was in place from 3pm on Friday until noon on Saturday.
The Met Office said periods of heavy rain in south and mid-Wales through Saturday are likely, with totals of 80-90mm are possible by the evening, which is about half a month’s worth of rain in one day.
In London, all eight of the royal parks were closed due to severe wind gusts.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for strong winds across England and Wales on Sunday. The yellow weather warning will be in place from 6am on Sunday until 6pm.
Updated
More than 170,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales without power
The Energy Networks Association said 177,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales are without power.
A spokesperson said about 768,000 customers have been reconnected on Saturday, with more than 1,000 engineers ready to be deployed.
National Express have said that they are getting back to normal after the disruption caused by Storm Darragh.
In an update posted a couple of hours ago on X, the coach travel company, advised customers to check its coach tracker before travel as there are still some amber and yellow weather warnings in place.
Due to the Met Office’s red weather warning, some of the National Express services late on Friday to midday on Saturday were cancelled.
The picture desk have put together this gallery of weather pictures:
Updated
Speaking about Storm Darragh, Helen Hooker, flood and climate scientist at the University of Reading, said:
Recovery from the devastating flooding caused by Storm Bert had barely begun when Storm Darragh hit this weekend.
Storm clusters are common, but climate change is making rainfall more intense. When storms come one after another, the heavier rainfall lands on already wet ground, worsening flooding.
After a very wet autumn for England, and four named storms by the start of December that have already led to some floods, the UK is experiencing the kind of volatility of extreme weather that we expect to see more of as the world gets warmer.”
All train services on the North Wales Coast Line were suspended until further notice after a tree fell, Network Rail said.
Meanwhile, the owners of Llandudno pier in north Wales said on Facebook that the tourist attraction had taken an “absolute battering”, with an ice-cream unit “completely gone” and Penderyn Store, an “original 150-year-old unit”, tipped on its side.
Major incident declared in parts of Wales due to Storm Darragh disruption
A major incident has been declared in parts of Wales because of disruption from Storm Darragh, reports the PA news agency.
Dyfed-Powys police said it was continuing to experience high volumes of calls about fallen trees and poor driving conditions.
Supt Chris Neve said:
I have this morning declared a major incident for the counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys, which means that together with our partners, we can call on the resources we need to respond to the challenges brought by Storm Darragh.
I’d like to reassure the public that at this time, Dyfed-Powys police is still able to respond to priority calls for service.
We have robust plans in place to respond to Storm Darragh, and we continue to work extremely closely with partner agencies to do so through local resilience arrangements and close working on the ground.
The safety of the public remains our top priority and I am urging everyone to take the warnings that have been issued seriously.
I’d like to thank our communities for their support at this time, and once again ask that you avoid unnecessary travel and follow all official advice to stay safe.”
Here are some of the latest Storm Darragh pictures coming in via the newswires:
Updated
Small businesses near the Bristol Channel in Somerset told the PA news agency that tiles had flown off their buildings and they had faced delivery issues during Storm Darragh.
Eleanor Sedgwick, 23, a front-of-house supervisor at Scarlett’s in Clevedon, said the cafe did not open on Saturday morning because it was “too big of a risk”.
She told the PA news agency:
The years that I’ve worked here, I’ve never had to close because of the weather, apart from when it snowed.”
Sedgwick said four tiles fell off their roof but she felt the business had “got off quite lucky” compared to previous storms.
She added:
We’re very fortunate because we are the first sort of wall (the storm) hit, so it’s scary but I’m glad that everyone’s happy and safe.”
Ben England, 47, manager of the Tiffin cafe on the same beachfront, told the PA news agency:
Last night we put all the (outside) chairs under wraps and tried to make it as secure as possible.
Some of our deliveries didn’t make it through from Bristol, but I think we should be OK. I cancelled probably 80% of our staff that were coming in today, so it’s literally just the skeleton crew.”
Both Sedgwick and England told the PA news agency that they were surprised at the number of customers venturing out.
Storm Darragh has had “very significant effects in many parts of Wales, including on transport, energy infrastructure and property”, the Welsh first minister and her deputy have said.
A joint statement from Eluned Morgan and Huw Irranca-Davies added:
On behalf of everyone, we wish to thank the emergency services and first responders who have been out through the night in dreadful conditions to keep people safe.
Our thanks also to people throughout Wales who heeded the very serious red warning and emergency alert that was issued.
Your actions truly helped the emergency response, and we are grateful.
Work is ongoing to restore power to homes and reopen parts of the transport network, and our thoughts are with people who have suffered damage to their property and possessions from the storm.
Many warnings and alerts remain in place, in particular around rivers, and people should be vigilant as the effects of Storm Darragh may be felt for some days yet.”
Man dies in Lancashire after tree falls on van during Storm Darragh
A man in his 40s has died during Storm Darragh on Saturday after a tree fell on to his van while he was driving on a dual carriageway, Lancashire police said.
In a statement on its website, Lancashire police said emergency services were called at around 9am on Saturday after the incident on the A59 at Longton near to the Lancashire police’s headquarters.
It added, that the man, in his 40s, was driving a Citroën van on the dual carriageway when the tree fell on to his vehicle causing serious injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation is under way.
His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by a specially trained officer, said Lancashire police.
Detective Sgt Matt Davidson, of Lancashire police’s serious collision investigation unit said:
Very sadly this incident has resulted in the death of a man and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time.”
An investigation is ongoing, and I would appeal to anyone who saw what happened or has any dashcam or mobile phone footage to please get in touch.”
Anyone with any information should call 101 quoting log 0368 of December 7th or you can email the serious collision investigation unit at SCIU@lancashire.police.uk.”
As well as powerful gusts, Storm Darragh is also expected to bring heavy rain over the weekend, with 15 flood warnings in place in England on Saturday.
The Environment Agency said river flooding is likely in parts of Hereford.
An amber warning for rain is in place in Wales from 3am to 6pm on Saturday with heavy rain likely to lead to disruption to transport and infrastructure.
A yellow warning for rain is in place for Northern Ireland and Wales, both of which were badly affected by flooding during Storm Bert, as well as parts of Scotland from 3pm on Friday until noon on Saturday.
The Met Office said periods of heavy rain in south and mid-Wales through Saturday are likely to see 20-30mm fall in three to six hours. Totals of 80-90mm are possible by the evening, which is about half a month’s worth of rain in one day, the Met Office said.
The Met Office said 55mm of rain fell in parts of Cumbria since Friday afternoon, while 44mm was seen in south Wales.
ESB Networks said as of 11.30am, the number of homes, farms and businesses across Ireland without power as a result of the storm, had dropped to 325,000. At 7am, the number stood at approximately 395,000 customers. ESB Networks have said full restoration is expected to take several days.
Taoiseach Simon Harris thanked the crews for their work to restore power. In a post on X, Harris said:
This is major work & will take some time to be fully completed. Other agencies will assist where appropriate too & met this morning to plan that work.”
A spokesperson for Ireland’s ESB Networks spokesperson said Storm Darragh is similar in impact to Storm Ophelia in 2017, which left 385,000 customers without power at the peak but was more widespread across the country.
They said:
The impact is nationwide and there has been extensive damage to electricity infrastructure so far.
With Met Eireann wind warnings remaining in place for the entire country until this afternoon, further power outages can be expected from potentially damaging gusts.
ESB Networks crews and partner contractors have been deployed since early morning to assess the damage of Storm Darragh, make the network safe and restore electricity supply in challenging conditions.
All ESB Networks teams are mobilised and are continuing to closely monitor the storm impact on power supplies.
From our experience of previous significant weather events and due to the severity of Storm Darragh, we expect that power restoration will take multiple days.
Significant numbers of impacted customers will have their power restored throughout today but restoration efforts will take a number of days and it is likely that the areas worst-affected will take longer.
Given the scale of the damage and the dynamic nature of the event, we will be working to confirm restoration times for customers throughout the day and we will update PowerCheck.ie as information is confirmed.
Wind gusts have reached 93mph
The Met office has provided this update on wind speeds recorded around the UK so far:
#StormDarragh continues to bring strong winds across the UK, with Red, Amber and Yellow wind warnings in force ⚠️ https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 7, 2024
Here are the highest wind gusts so far 👇
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/mHjUZeD4UW
All eight of London’s royal parks are closed today. On the royal parks X account, the below message was posted yesterday afternoon:
Due to severe wind gusts caused by Storm Darragh, all of the royal parks will be closed on Saturday 7 December. This closure includes all cafes, kiosks, park roads and cycleways.”
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for strong winds across England and Wales on Sunday. The yellow weather warning will be in place from 6am on Sunday until 6pm.
⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 7, 2024
Strong winds across England and Wales
Sunday 0600 – 1800
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/TUWInmtWlZ
Here are some more images via the newswires:
The Guardian community team want to hear from you. How have you been affected by Storm Darragh? Have you lost power or had plans disrupted? What impact has the storm had?
If you are 18 or over, You can share your experience (anonymously if you wish) with the team here:
Also, please note:
Though we’d like to hear from you, your safety and security are most important. When recording, or sharing your content with us, please put your welfare and the welfare of others first. Extreme weather events can be very unpredictable and carry very real risks.
A 15-year-old from Australia used all his savings to attend the final league derby at Goodison Park, only for the match to be postponed four hours before kick-off.
The young Everton fan from Sydney, known only as Mackenzie, asked his Liverpool-born mum at Easter whether he could return to England for the historic occasion.
His mum, Rita, told Radio Merseyside earlier this week:
When we came back, he said it was his dream to go to an Everton v Liverpool game at Goodison Park. I said you’ve got no chance, mate. We’ve just come back from England and there’s no way I can save that money in the time we’ve got.
He saved up the money, used all his savings and said two weeks ago: ‘I’d really like to go mum – will you let me go?’ I said I can’t stop you if you’ve got the money. We’re very proud of him.”
The teenager added:
Everyone says I’m a lucky charm.”
Mackenzie, who is staying with an aunt in England, attended Everton’s 4-0 win against Wolves on Wednesday but his dream of seeing a derby at Goodison was shattered on Saturday morning.
The 245th Merseyside derby was due to be the last league meeting between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison after 130 years, with Everton relocating to Bramley-Moore dock next season. But the fixture was postponed at 8.30am on Saturday due to the impact of Storm Darragh.
Travel disruption in Scotland as Met Office warn of 'nasty conditions' this afternoon
Storm Darragh has also brought travel disruption to Scotland, with wind and rain battering much of the country, reports the PA news agency
The train line between Ayr and Girvan was shut after a large tree fell on to the tracks, while snow gates were closed on roads in the north-east of Scotland.
An amber wind warning is in place for parts of Dumfries and Galloway and South Ayrshire until 9pm on Saturday. Heavy wind and rain are also expected along the east coast of Scotland into Saturday night.
Scotrail said services on the line between Girvan and Ayr were disrupted by the tree on the tracks, with Network Rail sending a chainsaw team to the site.
There have been snow gate closures on the A93 and A939 roads, while the southbound A1 was restricted at Eyemouth due to a fallen tree.
CalMac also warned of possible disruptions to ferry sailings on the west coast, reports the PA news agency.
Met Office presenter, Clare Nasir, told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme that winds on the east coast could peak at around 60mph on Saturday evening.
She said:
It will make for some very nasty conditions this afternoon.”
Transport secretary, Fiona Hyslop, said earlier:
The Met Office is warning us to expect another period of disruption this weekend, with Storm Darragh set to bring strong winds to the south of Scotland. The south-west in particular will likely see the worst of the conditions.
High winds will bring challenges for the trunk road network, so travellers should make sure they plan their journey in advance, drive to the conditions and follow Police Scotland travel advice.
The Traffic Scotland website offers people the latest information on the trunk roads and the Traffic Scotland X page is updated regularly.
You can also find details of wind-based closures for the bridges on the trunk road network, allowing you to check if your planned route is available.”
A Cardiff resident described a “superb effort” from a council that cleared a tree that fell during Storm Darragh, breaking windows and damaging the wall around a property.
Stuart Cox, 64, told the PA news agency that an approximately 50ft mature tree on Cathedral Road in the Welsh capital fell into his nextdoor neighbour’s garden in the early hours of Saturday.
“It broke one window two doors down and destroyed next door’s gate. The only damage to ours was the front wall was forced sideways, making the wall unstable and unable to shut the gate,” the accountant said.
“The council teams moved to us, after clearing other trees, around 5.30am and were all done by 8am. Superb effort.”
Almost 400,000 customers left without power in Ireland, say ESB Networks
Almost 400,000 customers have been left without power in Ireland after the country was battered by Storm Darragh, reports the PA news agency.
Parts of Ireland came under red weather warnings for wind overnight while an orange warning was due to expire at 10am. A status yellow warning is to remain in place until 3pm.
Major disruption has been caused to travel with some scheduled flights at Dublin airport cancelled, while there have been a number of delays and cancellations to bus and train services.
ESB Networks said as of 7am, approximately 395,000 homes, farms and businesses across the country were without power as a result of the storm.
A spokesperson said their crews and partner contractors began mobilising from early on Saturday morning to assess the damage, make the network safe and restore electricity supply where it was safe to do so.
“With Met Eireann, wind warnings remaining in place for the entire country until this afternoon, further power outages can be expected from potentially damaging gusts,” they added.
Given the extent of the storm, estimated restoration times will be updated throughout the day as fault sites are assessed and restoration work progresses – these will be available on PowerCheck.ie.”
Trains and some bus services suspended in Northern Ireland
Trains and some bus services in Northern Ireland have been suspended until further notice due to Storm Darragh, reports the PA news agency. The Met Office has issued an amber warning to 9pm on Saturday.
Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) said about 46,000 customers were without power on Saturday morning after a night of high winds. NIE Networks added this number could continue to rise across the morning.
It said damage including broken overhead power lines, fallen trees across lines and broken poles will require repair work expected to continue into Sunday.
A spokesperson said:
Hundreds of extra staff have been brought in to help reinforce our normal capability.
Our incident management centre at Craigavon has been opened, as have our local incident centres which are in locations across Northern Ireland and used by our teams to coordinate our localised response.
We have mobilised additional call agents to deal with any queries customers may have regarding the repair process in their area.
Any customers who lose power can report the fault online at nienetworks.co.uk or call the NIE Networks helpline on 03457 643 643. Regular updates will be posted to social media channels.”
A number of roads, including Castle Street in Belfast city centre, were closed on Saturday morning while clean up work was carried out after storm damage.
Public transport company Translink said on social media:
Due to poor weather conditions all Goldliner services (including Dublin/DublinAirport and BelfastAirport buses) and rail services (including Enterprise services) are suspended until further notice.”
In Ireland, almost 400,000 customers are without power, reports the PA news agency.
The Belfast Christmas market is not expected to open on Saturday, depending on weather conditions, with organisers saying they need to ensure visitors and traders are kept safe.
The League One clash between Bristol Rovers and Bolton has also been called off, with plenty more postponements possible. The Championship games featuring Cardiff v Watford and Plymouth v Oxford were called off on Friday, with League Two’s match between Newport and Carlisle following suit after the Welsh FA earlier called off all games in the country amid a red weather warning.
Saturday afternoon’s race meetings at both Aintree and Chepstow have been called off due to the strong winds but Sandown has been cleared after a morning inspection.
More on the postponement of the Everton v Liverpool Merseyside derby today (see 8.48am GMT)
A statement released by the two clubs confirmed:
Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside police and Liverpool city council this morning, it was decided that, due to the risk to safety in the local area due to strong wind gusts, and an amber severe wind warning that remains in place until 6am on Sunday, today’s fixture should be postponed on safety grounds.”
Everton’s statement added:
We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank supporters for their understanding. Whilst we appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, the safety of fans, staff and players is of paramount importance. Information relating to a rearranged date for the fixture will be announced in due course. All tickets purchased for the original fixture will remain valid for the rearranged fixture.”
Liverpool also stated there was no alternative but to postpone the 245th edition of the derby, and what was due to be the final league derby played at Goodison Park. “We appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, but the safety of fans, staff and players is of paramount importance,” stated the club.
86,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales without power
The Energy Networks Association said 86,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales are without power.
A spokesperson said about 385,000 customers have been reconnected overnight, with more than 1,000 engineers ready to be deployed.
Here are some of the latest Storm Darragh pictures coming in via the newswires:
National Grid has said more than 55,000 customers have no power supply across the south-west of England, south Wales and the West Midlands due to Storm Darragh. It said the majority of these were in south Wales.
About 376,000 customers have had their power restored by its teams since the start of the storm, reports the PA news agency.
Temporary air traffic restrictions in place at Heathrow and Gatwick
Air traffic control provider Nats has said temporary air traffic restrictions are in place at Heathrow and Gatwick airports due to Storm Darragh.
According to the PA news agency, a spokesperson said:
Due to Storm Darragh today temporary air traffic restrictions are in place. Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety.
We are monitoring closely and our Met Office expert embedded within our operation is ensuring we have the latest available information.
Our teams are working closely with airports and airlines to minimise disruption.
Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline.”
A Heathrow airport spokesperson also said passengers should check with their airlines due to possible disruption.
Tom Morgan of the Met Office said that as of 7am, Storm Darragh was at its peak, but higher wind speed totals are “possible” later in the morning.
The centre of the storm, meaning winds are calmer, was across north-east England, he added.
Everton v Liverpool derby match postponed
The Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park was due to kick off at 12.30pm.
Updated
The business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has been speaking to Sky News about Storm Darragh. Reynolds described the storm as a “challenging situation”.
According to the PA news agency, Reynolds 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.”
National Grid is responding to the 20,000 homes without power, Reynolds said, adding staff “will be on standby for any further challenges throughout the rest of the day”.
He said:
Where you can, stay inside, don’t put yourself at risk, and just follow the advice at all times.”
National Highways advised the QEII Bridge at Dartford Crossing in England’s south east had also been closed due to strong winds.
In the West Midlands, the A5 was closed between the B5070 at Gledrid and A483 at Halton due to strong winds.
Wind gusts of 93mph recorded overnight in north Wales
The Met Office confirmed to the PA news agency wind gusts of up to 93mph had been recorded overnight in Capel Curig in north Wales and Aberdaron on the Llŷn peninsula.
Gusts of between 72-78mph were recorded along the coasts of Wales and Northern Ireland.
Updated
National Rail is warning people hoping to travel by train this weekend that Storm Darragh may disrupt services throughout Saturday and Sunday.
You can see a full list of affected services on their website.
Red weather warnings explained
As we’ve been reporting, the Met Office has issued a red weather warning for Storm Darragh. But what does that actually mean?
What is a weather warning?
A weather warning is issued by the Met Office through the National Severe Weather Warning Service. The aim is to keep people safe by warning what severe weather is in store and what the impacts may be.
The warnings are given a colour – yellow, amber or red – depending on the combination of the impact the weather may have and the likelihood of those impacts occurring. Warnings can be provided up to a week ahead for severe weather including rain, thunderstorms, wind, snow and ice.
What does a red warning mean?
Red is the most serious weather warning the Met Office can issue. It means dangerous weather is expected and people are urged to take action to keep themselves and others safe. Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said red warnings are given based on “the impact, not the severity” of the weather.
How rare are red warnings?
Red warnings are issued “relatively infrequently”, according to the Met Office. The last red warning in the UK was issued in January for winds in north-east Scotland. Gusts of up to 99mph from Storm Isha killed two people and left tens of thousands of homes without power. Since the Met Office began issuing red warnings in 2011, there have been 20, with typically one or two a year.
In 2022, the UK had three red weather warnings, with the first ever alert for extreme heat in July 2022.
You can read more about red weather warnings on the Met Office website.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has urged people to be vigilant and prepared for possible significant flooding in areas of south Wales on Saturday and into Sunday.
While rainfall totals are not expected to be as high as those experienced during Storm Bert last month, further heavy rain experienced in Wales this week means the ground is saturated and rivers could rise quickly, NRW said.
Some rivers will also contain debris yet to be removed following Storm Bert, which could heighten flood risk.
Rhondda Cynon Taf, where between 200 and 300 properties were flooded during Storm Bert, was forecast to be hit by heavy rain once again.
NRW issued more than 30 flood alerts and warnings, while the Environment Agency in England put more than 20 red flood warnings in place, with residents and business owners told to “act now”.
The Met Office has provided a list of tips for staying safe amid strong winds – from driving safely to protecting your home from damage.
You can read it here.
As well as strong winds, Darragh is also expected to bring heavy rain over the weekend, with more than 120 flood alerts in place this morning.
An amber warning for rain is in place in Wales from 3am to 6pm on Saturday with heavy rain likely to lead to disruption to transport and infrastructure.
Welsh FA postpones all Saturday matches
The Football Association of Wales has said all matches in the country were being postponed on Saturday due to Storm Darragh, following advice from the Met Office.
“It is not safe to drive in such weather, including travelling to and from football matches,” the association said in a statement on its website.
“Clubs have been advised to check for and secure any loose items around their grounds if it can be done safely. This includes bins, furniture, goalposts, and fences etc.
It said any postponements of Sunday fixtures will be considered on a “case-by-case basis, in line with each individual league’s policy”.
In the Championship, Cardiff City’s Saturday home game against Watford was also postponed on Friday evening “in the interest of supporter safety”, the club said on its website, with no new date yet set for the fixture.
“All match tickets purchased for this game will remain valid for the rearranged date,” the club said.
Thousands left without power
Thousands of people across Northern Ireland, England and Wales have been left without power as they brace for the impact of Storm Darragh.
As of 5am, National Grid reported more than 12,600 premises had lost power in the Midlands and south-west, and more than 20,000 homes had been disconnected in Wales.
A note on the Northern Ireland Electricity Network’s website said the authority was unable to 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,” it read.
“We are working to restore supplies as quickly and safely as possible.”
Ireland residents urged to take red warnings ‘extraordinarily seriously’
Seven counties in the Republic of Ireland have put under red wind warnings overnight.
Airports have warned of potential disruption and some ferries have been cancelled. A series of festive events have also been called off across the weekend.
Met Eireann’s highest level of alert cover counties Mayo, Clare, Galway, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo and Wicklow.
The taoiseach, Simon Harris, urged those living in areas covered by red warnings to take them “extraordinarily seriously”.
“A red weather warning does mean do not travel during that period of time, and even though it is a Friday night and coming up to the Christmas season, I’d really encourage people to heed that advice and indeed to follow closely weather advice in the hours ahead,” he said.
“Of course, there’s an orange weather warning for the rest of the country as well. So, really, people in that area should avoid any unnecessary travel at all. It is important people take these warnings very, very seriously in terms of protecting life in the hours ahead.”
In Mayo, the warning came into effect at 9pm on Friday and is place to 3am. For Clare and Galway, the alert is in place from 9pm to 2am. In Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, the warning came into effect at 10pm and is in place until 3am. The red warning for Wicklow is in effect from 1am to 6am on Saturday.
ESB Networks said the high winds are expected to cause damage to electricity infrastructure, particularly in counties subject to the red warnings.
The rest of the Republic of Ireland will be covered by a Met Eireann orange wind warning. In Munster and Connacht, that warning came into effect at 8pm on Friday and will extend to 10am on Saturday.
Red, Amber and Yellow weather warnings are in force across the the UK for strong winds, heavy rain and snow as a result of #StormDarragh
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 6, 2024
Here's an overview of the warnings on Saturday 👇
More details: https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs pic.twitter.com/9nizXEhRlR
Bridges closed, and rail, ferry and air services disrupted
Both the Prince of Wales Bridge, M4, and the Severn Bridge, M48, which connect south-west England to Wales have been closed due to strong winds caused by Darragh, National Highways has said.
Dublin airport has confirmed it had welcomed a number of flights bound for other airports and were diverted due to the storm.
A number of British Airways flights to and from Heathrow, Paris, the United States and the Netherlands were also cancelled.
Network Rail Wales has said all train services west of Cardiff were suspended until further notice due to falling trees blocking the line.
National Rail has said Storm Darragh was likely to affect services across the whole network, advising people to check their journey in full before travelling as it may mean last services of the day are cancelled and passengers may not reach their destination.
You can find details on National Rail service disruptions here.
Chiltern Railways advised customers to only travel if absolutely necessary on Saturday, with significant disruption expected across the network.
A reduced timetable will be in operation, with one train an hour on all routes. Chiltern said customers with tickets on Saturday can use them on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday instead.
Stena Line said the storm would be “impacting” some sailings over the coming days, and Bristol airport said disruption was expected.
“Passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling,” a warning on the Bristol airport website said.
Three million people told to stay home by emergency mobile phone alert
The Cabinet Office issued an emergency alert at 6.45pm on Friday to 3 million people in areas covered by the Met Office’s rare red warning for wind in parts of Wales and south-west England.
The emergency alert system sent a message to every compatible mobile phone in the affected areas, containing information about the red warning and guidance on how to stay safe into Saturday.
This included a line that said: “Strong winds can cause flying debris, falling trees and large waves around coastal areas, all of which can present a danger to life. Stay indoors if you can. It is not safe to drive in these conditions.”
It was the largest use of the emergency alert system outside a test scenario – the last test being in April 2023.
It is understood residents in Devon, Bath and North East Somerset, the city of Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Somerset, Isle of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Monmouthshire and Newport received the alert.
Mobile phones made a loud siren-like sound even if they were set on silent. The sound and vibration lasted for about 10 seconds.
The warning, which has led to the cancellation of events including Christmas attractions, is in place from 3am to 11am on Saturday.
The Met Office has warned of “damaging winds” with gusts of 90mph (145km/h) possible over the coasts and hills of West and South Wales. Forecasters say the strongest winds will begin to ease from late morning.
Updated
'Danger to life' warning issued for parts of UK as Storm Darragh hits
A red warning for wind, signalling “danger to life”, has been issued by the Met Office for parts of Wales and south-west England as Storm Darragh hits the UK.
Gusts of 90mph (145km/h) or more were possible over the coasts and hills of west and south Wales, as well as funnelling through the Bristol Channel with some very large waves on exposed beaches, the forecaster said.
The rare red warning was in place from 3am to 11am on Saturday and signalled a danger to life due to flying debris and falling trees.
An amber warning for wind was already in place for large parts of the UK, with power cuts and flying debris possible amid the arrival of Storm Darragh, the fourth named storm of the season.
The amber warning for “potentially damaging” winds was in place on Saturday from 1am until 9pm for the west coast of the UK from South Ayrshire in Scotland down to Cornwall, as well as in Northern Ireland.
Yellow warnings for wind and rain on Thursday across parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England were extended to cover the north-east and south of England on Friday.
Flying debris could cause injury or danger to life and buildings may be damaged, such as tiles blown from roofs, the Met Office said. Power cuts and large waves should be expected, and some roads and bridges may be closed, with falling trees posing an additional hazard.
National Highways, which runs the UK’s motorways and busiest A-roads, has issued a severe weather alert for Saturday and has warned motorists in the south-west and north-west to prepare for gale force winds.
It said routes likely to be affected by the strongest winds include the M5 in northern Somerset, the A30 in Cornwall and the M6 in Cheshire.
Severe winds are already affecting travel in parts of the UK with the M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire closed on Thursday night because of gusty weather.
A yellow warning for rain will be in place for Northern Ireland and Wales, which were badly affected by flooding during Storm Bert, from 3pm on Friday until 12pm on Saturday.
Up to 60mm of rain could fall in these areas during the warning period, which may lead to some flooding and disruption, forecasters said.
