Met Office names Storm Darragh as extreme weather heads for UK this weekend – with amber warning issued
An amber warning for wind has been issued for parts of the UK as Storm Darragh is expected to arrive late on Friday.
Forecasters said it was expected to bring “very strong winds and heavy rain” through the weekend, including gusts of up to 80mph around coasts.
The Met Office said “potentially damaging” winds of 60 to 70mph are likely inland when the amber warning comes into force between 3am and 9pm on Saturday.
Flooding could be a risk for some areas, especially where rain falls on already saturated ground following Storms Bert and Conall.
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The warning area covers the west coast of the UK from South Ayrshire in Scotland down to Cornwall, and the whole of Northern Ireland.
Storm Darragh will bring the risk of power cuts, damage to buildings, travel disruption and a danger of injury from large waves.
Flooding risk returns on Thursday
There are also multiple yellow weather warnings in place between Thursday and Sunday covering large parts of the UK at different times.
Forecasters are predicting heavy rain during Thursday afternoon – between 2pm and 6pm – where 20 to 30mm (0.78-1.18in) is “likely to fall in just a few hours”.
The area of the yellow warning begins in mid-Wales and covers northwest England, including Liverpool and Manchester – and parts of Yorkshire.
There is the risk of surface water – and potentially some flooding and travel disruption – along with gusty winds.
Rain and wind warnings begin on Thursday afternoon. Pic: Met Office
Another yellow warning has been issued, from 3pm on Thursday until 3am on Friday, for strong and gusty winds, perhaps as much as 60 to 70mph along exposed coasts, especially through the North Channel and Irish Sea.
It covers a large area of the UK, including Northern Ireland, Wales, and western Scotland, as well as parts of England from the South West to the North West, also encompassing an area north of London.
Winds could hit 80mph
Storm Darragh, named by the UK Met Office, will bring heavy rain and strong winds – beginning late on Friday into Saturday morning.
“The winds will be strongest in the West at first, transferring eastwards later, with 80mph gusts likely on the coasts, with 70mph gusts possible inland,” said Sky News weather producer Chris England.
An amber warning – the second highest alert level – is issued when disruption is “more likely and more widespread”, with the Met Office urging people to “take action to protect yourself and your property”.
The Irish weather service has issued similar amber warnings for all western counties along with Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow in the southeast of Ireland.
Those warnings apply from 10pm on Friday evening and continue until 9am on Saturday.
Yellow and amber warnings will cover almost all of the UK on Saturday. Pic: Met Office
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Storm Darragh is also connected to a series of yellow warnings for rain and wind starting on Friday afternoon.
The warnings for rain apply from 3pm on Friday until midday on Saturday covering all of Northern Ireland, a large part of Wales and an area of Scotland as far north as Aberdeen.
Rainfall of 20 to 30mm (0.78-1.18in) is widely expected and as much as 60mm (2.36in) over the higher ground, which carries the risk of local flooding and transport disruption.
Another yellow warning for wind also applies across the UK – apart from an area of Scotland north of Glasgow – from 3pm on Friday until 6am on Sunday. Gusts could vary from 40mph inland to 80mph around coasts.
Drivers should be prepared
Dale Hipkiss, duty manager at National Highways, said: “If weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour to manage the conditions as safely as possible.
“It’s also a good idea for drivers to check their vehicles, such as tyres, coolant and oil levels, before heading out to reduce the risk of breakdowns.”
An amber warning has been issued for snow in a part of the UK, likely to cause travel delays and “stranding some vehicles and passengers”.
The warning, which covers south west England, also warns some rural communities could become cut off and is in place until 2pm this evening.
Pic: Met Office
There is also a yellow weather warning for snow covering the southern counties of England until midnight on Wednesday.
The warning stretches from Kent to Cornwall and up to south London and the Met Office said between 2cm and 5cm of snow could accumulate fairly widely, with as much as 10cm over higher ground.
This week is expected to see the coldest nights of the year, with temperatures potentially reaching -14C on Wednesday night and -16C on Thursday night, both in the North East of England and Scotland, the Met Office said.
Weather warnings issued on Tuesday for snow and ice covering the parts of Wales, the North West of England, west and northern parts of Scotland as well as Northern Ireland will remain in place until midnight tomorrow.
The forecaster said some roads and railways are likely to be affected and there could be icy patches on untreated roads.
Pics: AP
Meanwhile the Environment Agency has said at least 300 properties have flooded across England since New Year’s Eve. It estimates more than 41,000 properties have been protected.
Heavy rainfall over the New Year caused significant river and surface water flooding across the North West of England and Yorkshire and snowmelt has brought further disruption to parts of England, particularly the Midlands, the agency said.
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Floods minister Emma Hardy said: “My sympathies go out to the people, businesses and communities impacted by the recent flooding across the country.
“I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the vital work that the Environment Agency and emergency services are doing to keep people safe. People must continue to follow their advice and sign up for flood warnings.”
Flood warnings
Some 100 flood warnings were in force across England on Wednesday, with people urged to remain vigilant over the coming days.
A danger-to-life warning was issued on Tuesday morning for the River Soar near Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, but was later removed.
People living in caravan parks in the area were urged by the Environment Agency to act, with a large-scale evacuation needed to save lives.
Firefighters have rescued dozens of people across Leicestershire since Monday, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said.
Hundreds of schools were closed across the UK, with road and rail links blocked, as Manchester, Bristol and Liverpool John Lennon airports suspended flights because of the conditions.
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