Storm Darragh is set to batter parts of the UK with up to 90mph winds, torrential rain, and potential flooding over the weekend.
The Met Office has issued a rare red warning for wind, which warns of significant disruption and a “danger to life” for parts of Wales and southwest England on Saturday.
The warning is in place from 3am to 11am on Saturday, covering western and southern coastal regions of Wales and the Bristol Channel in England.
Red weather warnings are the most serious type of warning. The Met Office only issues them when meteorologists believe that dangerous, potentially life-threatening weather is expected imminently.
Yellow wind warnings are in place for large parts of the UK on Friday, with amber warnings covering the west coast of England and Wales, as well as Northern Ireland, on Saturday morning.
The forecaster says a period of “very strong northerly or northwesterly winds” will develop throughout Saturday as Storm Darragh moves from west to east. This will see gusts of up to 90mph or more hit areas of exposed coast and gusts of 60 to 70mph in inland areas.
Affected communities, particularly those under an amber weather warning this weekend, are warned to stay cautious and to avoid driving due to potentially dangerous conditions.
With several weather warnings for wind and rain covering different areas at different times, The Independent has highlighted which areas will be affected.
Friday afternoon: Storm Darragh hits
Friday will see a “dry, bright start, with a few showers continuing in the northwest”, before “wet and increasingly windy weather arriving later from the west later as Storm Darragh arrives by the evening”.
Three yellow weather warnings will be introduced at 3pm.
A yellow warning for wind from 3pm on Friday until 6am on Sunday will cover the entirety of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and southern parts of Scotland.
The Met warns of a “small chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris” throughout this warning, alongside a risk of travel disruption, power cuts and damage to buildings.
A yellow weather warning for rain will cover Northern Ireland and most of Wales from 3pm on Friday until 12pm on Saturday, with the possibility of some “flooding and disruption”.
Another yellow warning for rain will cover the southern part of Scotland from 3pm on Friday until 12pm on Saturday, stretching from the Scottish Borders up to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and up the eastern coast to Aberdeen.
“Flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely,” the warning reads, with “transport disruption” expected “from late Friday through Saturday morning”.
Saturday: Severe wind strikes
A rare red weather warning covers parts of Wales and southwest England, including Cardiff, Bristol and Devon, and is in place from 3am to 11am on Saturday.
The Met Office warns of “potentially damaging winds” and a “good chance” of power cuts and mobile phone service going down. Transport is likely to be affected and there will “probably” be some damage to buildings, the forecaster adds.
The winds are also expected to cause large waves, power cuts affecting mobile phone services, and damage to buildings and homes.
There is a “danger to life” from flying debris and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts.
“A period of very strong northerly or northwesterly winds is likely to develop during Saturday as Storm Darragh moves from west to east. Gusts of 70 to 80mph are likely around exposed coasts and headlands, where some very large waves are likely, whilst gusts of 60 to 70 mph are likely inland. The strongest winds will ease from the west through the afternoon,” the Met Office says.
Sunday: Storm Darragh cools off
By 6am on Sunday, all weather warnings will be lifted as Storm Darragh clears through the east overnight.
