Around three million people in Wales and south-west England have been sent an emergency alert by the government with Storm Darragh set to batter the UK on Saturday.
In the largest ever real-life use of the alert system, the government warned people of a risk of a “danger to life” as a result of “flying debris, falling trees and large waves around coastal areas” on Saturday.
The “severe alert” made a siren noise for around 10 seconds to warn people within the area set to be worst affected by Storm Darragh.
A rare red weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for Saturday. Life-threatening 90mph winds are expected to strike Wales and parts of southwestern England, along with a likelihood of significant disruption to travel and damage to buildings and homes.
The emergency alert was sent to around 3 million mobile phones (The Independent)
Delays and cancellations to bus, trains, ferry services and flights are all expected, the Met Office says, with power outages and cuts to mobile phone service also possible.
The government’s phone alert advises those within the warning area to “consider gathering torches, batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items you already have at home”.
People should stay indoors if possible as it is “not safe to drive in these conditions”, the alert adds.
Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland in London also announced it will close on Saturday due to the strong winds. It is expected to reopen on Sunday.
“In line with the Royal Parks’ closure of Hyde Park due to high winds, we will not be opening Hyde Park Winter Wonderland on Saturday 7th December 2024,” Winter Wonderland’s official X account said.
“The safety of our visitors and staff are our top priority and we are sorry for any disappointment caused. All affected ticket holders have been contacted directly and will have the opportunity to reschedule or refund their tickets,” it added.
A person takes shelter under an umbrella as they cross the Sean O’Casey Bridge in Dublin city centre ahead of Storm Darragh (PA Wire)
A large yellow wind warning covers the entire UK – barring central and northern Scotland – from Friday afternoon until 6am on Sunday. Yellow rain warnings have also been issued for Northern Ireland, northern England and southern Scotland.
An amber rain warning for rain will be in place for parts of Wales tomorrow, and there is a “risk of snow on the northern flank of this storm and a snow warning for parts of Scotland overnight”, the Met Office said. Up to 20cm of snow is expected.
At the time of publication, nine flood warnings and 164 flood alerts are in place across England, Scotland and Wales. A flood warning, the second most severe of a three-tier system, means flooding is expected so people in the area should “act now”. A flood alert, the least severe tier, means flooding is “possible” and advises people to “be prepared”.
England’s Environment Agency has issued eight flood warnings and 116 flood alerts, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued one warning and 11 alerts, and Natural Resources Wales has issued 37 alerts.
Met Office Chief Forecaster, Jason Kelly, said: “The worst impacts from Storm Darragh will be felt as we go through the early hours of tomorrow morning and throughout Saturday with, in addition to the broad yellow warning, red and amber wind warnings in place from 1 am tomorrow.
A rare red warning for wind, which warns of significant disruption and a “danger to life”, has been issued by the Met Office (Met Office)
“In the red warning area, we could see wind gusts of up to 90 miles per hour along the coasts of west and south Wales as well as funnelling through the Bristol Channel, with some very large waves on exposed beaches.
Mr Kelly said that despite a “lower likelihood of impacts” outside the warning areas it “doesn’t mean you won’t see them”.
He continued: “We are likely to see impacts across the whole of the country and people should keep an eye on the latest forecast details and prepare for the bad weather, especially if planning to be out and about on Saturday.
“Some areas are likely to have a relatively quiet start to Saturday, weather-wise, but winds will quickly increase from the west through the day.”
The Cabinet Office said: “The UK Government has well rehearsed plans in place for severe winter weather and is working with teams from devolved governments, local authorities, the emergency services and other public bodies to coordinate the response to any disruption.”
