An emergency alert went into effect at 1 AM on Saturday as Storm Darragh battered Britain, leaving thousands without power, disrupting train services, and forcing cancellations across significant regions. The Met Office issued a rare red warning for wind, the most severe level of alert, for parts of Wales and south-west England, urging residents to stay indoors as the storm intensified. The emergency notification system reached millions of people and advised against driving and warned that storm-related conditions posed a “risk to life.”
Train Services Cancelled as Storm Darragh Hits Britain
As of 5 AM, over 12,600 homes in the Midlands and South-West and more than 20,000 households in Wales were left without power. National Grid and the Northern Ireland Electricity Network have been working tirelessly to restore services, though the high volume of faults has made it challenging to provide restoration time estimates.
Transportation has also been severely impacted. National Highways confirmed that the Prince of Wales Bridge (M4) and the Severn Bridge (M48) were closed due to high winds. Train services west of Cardiff were suspended after falling trees blocked tracks, while Network Rail warned that delays and cancellations would continue throughout the day.
The red warning, in effect from 3 AM to 11 AM, indicated dangerous winds with gusts reaching up to 90 mph, particularly along the coasts and hills of West and South Wales. The storm will ease by late morning, though the damage may linger throughout the weekend. Flying debris, falling trees, and power outages threaten life and infrastructure.
In addition to the wind, heavy rain is expected to cause further disruption, particularly in Wales, where a separate amber warning for rain remains in effect from 3 AM to 6 PM on Saturday. Forecasters predict that rain in some areas could lead to flooding and disrupt transport systems. Over 120 flood alerts were issued nationwide, including in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland, as Storm Darragh continues to develop.
Air travel has also been affected, with flights from Dublin Airport and British Airways facing cancellations and diversions due to the storm’s intensity. At Heathrow, flights to and from destinations like Paris, the United States, and the Netherlands were cancelled.
Videos of the storm’s impact show the devastating power of Storm Darragh, with some footage showing massive waves crashing onto coastal roads and images of crushed cars from flying debris. In another video, trees can be seen lying across roads while strong gusts of wind continue to batter the landscape.
Local authorities have warned of further travel disruptions and advised people to check transport updates regularly. Rail services across the UK are expected to be impacted, with significant disruptions anticipated on the Chiltern Railways network, where only one train per hour will run on affected routes. Travellers are urged to reconsider their journeys and use tickets on alternative days.
Meanwhile, engineers in Wales are racing against time to restore power to 40,000 homes, particularly in northern and mid-Wales. The power company, SP Manweb, warned that road closures and dangerous wind conditions were delaying restoration efforts, with conditions remaining difficult for repair teams to work safely.
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The storm’s powerful impact also led to warnings of further storms to come. An active jet stream, which has been particularly active this autumn and winter, means that we can expect wetter and windier conditions in the months ahead, potentially bringing even more storms to the region.
As Storm Darragh continues to make its way across Britain, authorities are on high alert, urging residents to remain vigilant and prepared for continued severe weather conditions.
