Millions of people in Wales and south-west England have been urged to stay indoors as Storm Darragh unleashes powerful winds reaching up to 91 mph. The Met Office has issued a red weather warning, its highest alert, for potentially life-threatening conditions from 03:00 to 11:00 GMT on Saturday. This affects western and southern Wales and the Bristol Channel coast.
The storm has caused widespread disruption, with tens of thousands of homes in south Wales and western England left without power. Over three million people received an emergency government alert advising them to prepare for power outages with torches, batteries, and essentials.
Bristol and Cardiff airports have canceled flights, and both the Prince of Wales and Severn Bridges connecting England and Wales are closed. Cardiff City’s football match and all domestic rugby and football games in Wales have been canceled.
Storm Darragh is also bringing heavy rain, raising the risk of flooding with over 120 flood alerts in England and 55 in Wales, where the ground is still waterlogged from Storm Bert. Amber and yellow weather warnings remain in place across Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK.
Christmas events and attractions like Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and Belfast’s Christmas market have also been canceled. The Met Office warns of further strong winds and rain through the weekend.