Millions of people warned to brace for further disruption as strong winds continue across UK
Millions of Britons have been warned to brace for further disruption as more strong winds are set to sweep across the UK following Storm Darragh.
Northern Ireland was exposed to wind gusts of up to 80mph overnight, while a Met Office yellow wind warning came into force across much of England and Wales at 6am. More widely, there are likely to be gusts of 35-45mph inland, even reaching 70mph around coasts during the morning.
It means that further travel disruption and power cuts are likely until 6pm, the Met Office said.
Storm Darragh brought gusts of 93mph to some parts of the country on Saturday, with millions warned to stay indoors, tens of thousands left without power and trains cancelled.
The Met Office said heavy rain was expected to persist in central and eastern parts of England throughout Sunday, with 20-25mm forecast to fall across much of the country. As much as 60mm could fall over high ground of the Cheviots, Pennines and North York Moors.
Two men were killed on Saturday by falling trees hitting their vehicles. West Midlands police said the latest victim was killed when a tree fell and hit his car on Silver Birch Road, Erdington, on Saturday afternoon. Earlier in the day, a man died after a tree fell on to his van in Lancashire.
The government’s “risk to life” alert came into effect at 1am on Saturday and was sent to people within the area covered by the Met Office’s rare red warning for wind in parts of Wales and south-west England.
Energy Networks Association said 259,000 customers across England, Scotland and Wales were without power as of Saturday evening. It said that 80% of homes affected by the storm have been reconnected.
The Environment Agency had 64 flood warnings in place in England on Sunday morning, meaning flooding is expected, while Natural Resources Wales said 25 flood warnings were active.
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Key events
National Rail says in an update at 9.53am that Storm Darragh and severe weather was continuing to cause “significant disruption’’ across rail lines in England, Wales and Scotland.
Customers are advised to check for updates before they travel.
Our picture editors have captured some of the destruction caused by Storm Darragh here:
London’s Victoria rail station was facing major disruptions in service this morning, according to National Rail.
Southeastern and Thameslink services are now being diverted, with major disruption expected until the end of the day.
In Northern Ireland train lines have reopened but thousands of homes remain without power following Storm Darragh.
Gusts of up to 70mph caused extensive damage to the electricity network in the region, with 48,000 customers losing power at the peak of the storm.
Country Antrim saw the most impact, with power station EP Ballylumford temporarily halting electricity generation on Saturday following damage to a chimney and scores of roads blocked by fallen trees.
A bus also crashed close to Belfast International Airport and a loyalist mural in north Belfast was damaged.
On Sunday morning, public transport provider Translink said all rail lines were open, although some speed restrictions are in place.
NIE Networks said 15,000 remained without power at 9am. They have indicated it may take a number of days to reconnect those customers.
Millions of people warned to brace for further disruption as strong winds continue across UK
Millions of Britons have been warned to brace for further disruption as more strong winds are set to sweep across the UK following Storm Darragh.
Northern Ireland was exposed to wind gusts of up to 80mph overnight, while a Met Office yellow wind warning came into force across much of England and Wales at 6am. More widely, there are likely to be gusts of 35-45mph inland, even reaching 70mph around coasts during the morning.
It means that further travel disruption and power cuts are likely until 6pm, the Met Office said.
Storm Darragh brought gusts of 93mph to some parts of the country on Saturday, with millions warned to stay indoors, tens of thousands left without power and trains cancelled.
The Met Office said heavy rain was expected to persist in central and eastern parts of England throughout Sunday, with 20-25mm forecast to fall across much of the country. As much as 60mm could fall over high ground of the Cheviots, Pennines and North York Moors.
Two men were killed on Saturday by falling trees hitting their vehicles. West Midlands police said the latest victim was killed when a tree fell and hit his car on Silver Birch Road, Erdington, on Saturday afternoon. Earlier in the day, a man died after a tree fell on to his van in Lancashire.
The government’s “risk to life” alert came into effect at 1am on Saturday and was sent to people within the area covered by the Met Office’s rare red warning for wind in parts of Wales and south-west England.
Energy Networks Association said 259,000 customers across England, Scotland and Wales were without power as of Saturday evening. It said that 80% of homes affected by the storm have been reconnected.
The Environment Agency had 64 flood warnings in place in England on Sunday morning, meaning flooding is expected, while Natural Resources Wales said 25 flood warnings were active.
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