Jon Rowley/EPA
Met Office issued ‘life threatening red alert’ as Storm Darragh
A rare red “danger to life” warning has been issued as the fourth storm of the season hits the UK. Millions of people have been urged to stay at home as Storm Darragh batters the country with wind gusts that could reach 150km/h. Cold and wind will reach Portugal.
A rare red “danger to life” due to strong gusts of wind was emitted for much of Wales and parts of South West Britain, as the fourth storm of the season reaches the United Kingdom.
The British Government sent a text alert to around three million people before the storm reached land, reports .
The alert warned people of approaching disturbances and asked them to “stay at home if they could“, stating that it was unsafe to drive in stormy conditions.
According to the Met Office, wind gusts of up to 150km/h were recorded overnight in north Wales, and winds of more than 130km/h were recorded in other parts of the country.
The storm was at its peak at 7 amsaid Tom Morganmeteorologist at the Met Office, adding that it is “possible” that wind speed totals are higher later. The center of the storm, where the winds are calmest, is located in the Northeast.
During the morning, thousands of people in Northern Ireland, England and Wales were left without electricity. According to the Energy Networks Association, power outages affected around 86,000 homes as of 9 am.
National Grid declared that, as of 8 a.m., more than 55,000 customers had connectedlost electricity in the Southwestin South Wales and the West Midlands.
A note on the Northern Ireland Electricity Network website noted that, “due to the number of faults”, could not provide a time estimate until the power supply is restored.
National Highways reported that several highways which connect South West England to Wales had been closed due to high winds, and Network Rail Wales reported that all rail services on the northwest line had been suspended until further notice due to a falling tree.
O Premier League derby between Everton and Liverpoolwhich was due to start at lunchtime at Goodison Park, was postponed, and aviation authorities canceled several British Airways flights to and from Heathrow, Paris, the United States and the Netherlands.
The red “risk to life” meteorological warning began at 3 am today and lasted until 11 am. A further eight high wind warnings covering almost the entire UK are in place until Sunday morning.
The emergency alert issued on Friday by the Cabinet Office advised people to consider the possibility of “gather flashlights, batteriesa cell phone battery and other essential items” that are already in their homes.
“A RED warning has been issued for the wind in your area. The extremely strong winds associated with Storm Darragh are expected to cause significant disruption,” the warning read. “Strong winds can cause debris, trees and large waves to fall.”
However, some people claimed not to have received it.
Storm Darragh, in the next few days, is forecast a drop in temperatures and the possibility of snow in some regions.
