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Rare red weather warnings have been issued for the parts of the UK as Storm Darragh rolls in and threatens to cause havoc. People in the worst affected areas are being urged to stay at home and avoid unnecessary travel.
Strong winds this morning pose a risk of flying debris amid treacherous conditions and gusts of up to 90mph. Coastal areas will be worst affected with most of Wales and south west England subject to red warnings.
The Government issued a “risk to life” alert on Friday, urging people in worst-hit areas to “stay indoors if you can”, the Mirror reports. Thousands of homes across Northern Ireland, England and Wales were left without power as Storm Darragh raged through.
READ MORE: Storm Darragh hits Birmingham live as Met Office issues ‘danger to life’ warning
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The Met Office issued a rare red warning for parts of Wales and south west England.
Full list of places subject to the red weather warning
South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
Wales
It comes amid warnings of travel disruption on Saturday. Routes around the Bassetts Pole roundabout, near Birmingham, will be congested after a lorry overturned in the rain this morning, police say. The A38 is expected to become busy – or forced to close – as a result.
National Highways said both the Prince of Wales Bridge, M4 and the Severn Bridge, M48, which connect Southwest England to Wales were closed due to strong winds. Network Rail Wales said all train services west of Cardiff were suspended until further notice due to falling trees blocking the line.
Elsewhere, the QEII Bridge at Dartford Crossing in England’s south east had also been closed due to strong winds. The Met Office issued the red weather warning – the most serious type – on Friday for wind, meaning dangerous weather is expected and people are urged to take action to keep themselves and others safe.
Speaking on Friday, Jason Kelly, chief forecaster with the Met Office Chief, said: “The worst impacts from Storm Darragh will be felt as we go through the early hours of (Saturday) morning and throughout Saturday with, in addition to the broad yellow warning, red and amber wind warnings in place from 1am. 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.
“Although there is a lower likelihood of impacts outside of the red and amber warning areas this doesn’t mean you won’t see them. 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.”
