Storm Darragh is causing major transport disruption on Saturday, with many trains and flights cancelled, as well as power cuts to tens of thousands of homes in the UK. A man died on Saturday morning in the northwest of England after a tree fell on his van.
The red alert for strong winds, which is rarely used by the British weather agency Met Office, was in effect between 1 a.m. and 11 a.m. It concerned the south-west of England and part of Wales. Darragh however continues to bring heavy rain and wind to the UK.
More than 400,000 homes without electricity in Ireland
England and Wales will still be on yellow alert on Sunday until 6 p.m., the Met Office said. This is the fourth storm of the season in the country. Around three million people received an alert on their phones on Friday evening calling on them to stay indoors. Gusts reached 150km/h in north Wales, the Met Office said.
As of 9 a.m., power was cut to 86,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales, according to the Energy Networks Association. Around 45,000 other homes were left without power in Northern Ireland, the Belfast Telegraph said. In Ireland, Darragh caused power cuts for 400,000 homes, according to the RTE news media.
Train operator National Rail has warned there will be disruption until Sunday in England, Scotland and Wales. Many train journeys have been canceled. In north Wales, none ran on Saturday morning due to a tree falling on the track, operator Network Rail Wales said.
Trains were disrupted or suspended, notably between Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland, as well as between Cambridge and Stansted Airport in the east of England. Bridges were closed for safety due to gusty winds, such as the Severn Bridge, which connects southwest England to Wales.
All our information on the storms affecting France and the United Kingdom
Christmas celebrations and sporting competitions have been postponed, including the Mersey derby between Premier League leaders Liverpool and Everton. The London Winter Wonderland funfair in Hyde Park has been closed. British Airways has also canceled several flights to or from Heathrow. Planes had to land in Dublin, instead of their intended final destination.
