Gusts of 35-45mph are more widely expected inland, and up to 70mph in coastal areas, meaning some travel disruption and further power cuts are possible
Forecasters say strong winds will continue to batter the UK on Sunday in the wake of Storm Darragh which left two men dead and thousands left without power.
The Met Office has issued four yellow weather warnings for wind across much of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, along with south-east Scotland.
Gusts of 35-45mph are more widely expected inland, and up to 70mph in coastal areas, meaning some travel disruption and further power cuts are possible.
The Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for wind on Saturday as Storm Darragh brought gusts of up to 93mph as it swept across the UK.
The two victims of Saturday’s storm were killed in separate incidents when trees fell on their vehicles in Lancashire and the West Midlands. The Energy Networks Association said on Saturday evening that 259,000 customers were still without power.
It added that engineers would be working through the night said they would be working through the night and into Sunday to restore power.
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks said more than 20,000 properties were without power on Saturday evening and warned it may take days for supplies to be fully restored. At the storm’s peak, more than 48,000 premises were affected. Sixty-four flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected – and 147 flood alerts are in place for parts of England following heavy rain, according to the Environment Agency.
In Wales, which is still recovering from the flooding left by Storm Bert last month, Natural Resources Wales says 25 flood warnings and 49 alerts are in force. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has two flood warnings in place.
Disruption to train travel is also expected to continue, with National Rail warning passengers to check their journeys before travelling.
It said there is likely to be “significant disruption with heavy rain and wind” to services in south-west Scotland, north and south-west England and Wales. Operators including Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railways, Northern, LNER and Transport for Wales currently face delays and cancellations.
Belfast International Airport said that a full flight schedule is planned for Sunday but it could be subject to delays. Storm Darragh was the fourth named storm of the season following Bert and Conall last month.
Millions sent alert
Around three million people in parts of Wales and south-west England were sent an emergency alert from the government as Storm Darragh approached. It was the largest use of the warning system yet and has been sent to the mobile phones of people in areas covered by the Met Office red weather warning for the storm.
The alert made a loud siren-like sound when it was delivered to devices, even if they were set on silent, and lasted for around 10 seconds.
Red weather warning issued
A rare red warning for wind for parts of North Wales, has been issued by the Met Office as Storm Darragh sweeps in. The eight hour top Met Office alert comes into force tomorrow (Saturday) at 3am, lasting until 11am, covering Anglesey, Conwy and Gwynedd. It also covers other parts of west and south Wales.
Weather forecasters have urged people to take extra care. A Met Office statement said: “A period of extremely strong winds will develop during the early hours of Saturday morning as Storm Darragh moves across the Irish Sea.
“Gusts of 90 mph or more are possible over 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 strongest winds will begin to ease from late morning, though it will remain very windy with Amber wind warnings still in force until the evening.”
The statement added: “Keep yourself and others safe; avoid travelling by road during potentially dangerous conditions. It is not safe to drive in these conditions. Don’t risk injury to others or damage to your property. If you can do so safely, check for loose items outside your home and secure them. Items include; Christmas decorations, bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences. Being outside in high winds makes you vulnerable to injury. Stay indoors if you can. ”
Over 200 flood alerts
As the winds subsided, the rain poured down. Natural Resources Wales issued 27 flood warnings and there were 17 more in England. There were also more than 200 flood alerts, where flooding was possible. In Scotland, where an amber warning was in place, there were warnings in the Borders and Tayside.
Most people avoided the roads, but a few took a risk. Woodbine, who runs Woody’s Glamping, a site in the foothills of Snowdonia, said a family with four children had turned up unexpectedly, asking to stay in one of his tents. He put them up in a more secure lodge instead.
“My wife said to them: ‘there’s a warning – please, if you’re leaving, you’re going to have to take it very, very carefully’.”
Traffic cameras showed mostly empty roads yesterday. Even the M25’s “road to hell” section near Heathrow was comparatively quiet – the airport had suffered 83 cancellations by Saturday afternoon, according to Flightaware, a tracking service, with dozens more flights cancelled elsewhere and ferry crossings at Stranraer, the Western Isles, Holyhead and Fishguard also halted. Network Rail listed 14 disruptions.
People who did venture out found few places to go in the worst affected areas. Events were cancelled and businesses stayed shut after the storm knocked out power. The Energy Networks Association said 177,000 homes in mainland Britain were without electricity yesterday afternoon, and its member networks’ online incident maps showed a sea of dots stretching from Eastbourne on the south coast to Bamburgh in Northumberland.
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