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
A summary of today’s developments
This blog will be closing shortly. Here is a summary of the development from today:
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A second man has died in Storm Darragh after his vehicle was hit by a falling tree, police have confirmed, as weather warnings remain in place across the UK
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Disruption continues across several rail networks including South Western Railway, Avanti West Coast, Southeastern and Thameslink.
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The Environment Agency still had more than 130 flood alerts in place on Sunday
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Houses without power are beginning to have energy restored but 200,000 homes remained without power across the country this morning.
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Air travel disruption continues with more than 100 flights grounded at Heathrow.
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In Northern Ireland train lines have reopened.
Heathrow warnings still in place for air travel passengers
Heathrow airport still has warnings in place to passengers about delays to flights. It says disruptions are still likely due to sever weather. Passengers are urged to check live departures before heading to the airport.
British Airways has grounded more than 100 short-haul international flights and 30 domestic services to and from Heathrow.
Three flights to Aberdeen and Edinburgh and back have also been cancelled. Other airlines have grounded multiple flights at Heathrow including Lufthansa services to Frankfurt and Munich, KLM to and from Amsterdam and Aer Lingus to Cork and Dublin.
As the worst of the storm passes the damage is still being felt across the country. Here are some images of today from the news agencies.
About 200,000 customers remained without power as of 9am on Sunday after the effects of Storm Darragh, the Energy Networks Association said.
The body said 88% of customers affected by the storm had been reconnected.
Rail services face further disruption as Storm Darragh continues
South Western Railway said services in Surrey, between both Guildford and Effingham Junction and through Farncombe, faced delays or alterations until Sunday afternoon due to trees blocking the track earlier. Customers were advised to book their own taxis to nearby Epsom, PA news agency reports.
Avanti West Coast said all lines are closed between Wolverhampton and Stafford due to a tree blocking the line, with disruption is expected until the end of the day.
A number of Transport for Wales services remain suspended, with the operator advising customers not to travel on Sunday.
Ferry company Wightlink said the 10am and 12pm sailings from Portsmouth to Fishbourne and the 11am and 1pm services in the opposite direction had been cancelled.
The Environment Agency still had more than 50 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and more than 130 flood alerts issued across England as of Sunday morning.
There were nine flood warnings and 20 flood alerts issued by Natural Resources Wales.
An update from National Grid says that as of 8am this morning 144,858 properties across the south west, south Wales and Midlands are still without power.
It said as strong winds continue the the risk of fallen power lines and electricity poles remained.
In London, Storm Darragh continues to cause disruptions across the capital but there is some festive cheer as Winter Wonderland reopens after safety assessments.
The attraction was forced to close yesterday during a peak weekend for Christmas visitors due to concerns over safety but has reopened as of 11am this morning.
All of London’s Royal Parks were forced to close on Saturday due to the extreme weather conditions. Some areas will remain closed for safety.
As well as disruptions at Victoria station Transport for London services are also experiencing disruptions. Overground services between Romford and Upminster are suspended due to a tree on the tracks.
For a second day in a row the London cable car over the River Thames has been suspended due to high winds.
This means regular services between Greenwich Peninsula and Royal Victoria Dock are not currently running.
Robyn Vinter
A second man has died in Storm Darragh after his vehicle was hit by a falling tree, police have confirmed, as weather warnings remain in place across the UK, writes my colleague Robyn Vinter.
There were gusts of nearly 100mph in some parts of the country on Saturday and more than a quarter of a million people were left without power in the west of England and Wales.
Some images from Llandudno pier in north Wales.
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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