Storm Darragh latest: Winter Wonderland to shut amid 90mph winds and rare Met Office red weather warning

Change your plans accordingly if you are in an area subject to red or yellow warnings, the Met Office forecaster advises.

Meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “The main advice, especially if you’re in the yellow or red zone, is just think about what your plans are for this weekend and change them accordingly.

“But even if you are in the yellow warning zone, there will be problems with a lot of people out, it’s the Saturday before Christmas, so again think about what your plans are, make sure you’re over the warning. They are constantly adapting.”

National Rail has explained why rain and high winds can cause problems on the rail network.

Its website lists three reasons for the delay.

• Heavy rain can “flood the tracks meaning trains run at greatly reduced speeds or cannot run at all”.
• Water can “displace ballast leading to potential track damage or landslides.”
• Flooding can “damage points and signaling equipment, meaning trains cannot move from one track to another”.

National Rail has warned there will be “significant disruption” to train services this weekend.

The rail company said on its website: “Storm Darragh is expected to bring significant disruption with heavy rain and wind from this evening. Please check your journey in full before you travel as this may mean that the last services of the day are canceled and you may not reach your destination.”

He advises those thinking of traveling to check their trip online.

Traffic Wales will close parts of the A55, A5 and A483, according to Traffic Wales.

Body post on X: “A55 Britannia Bridge will be closed to all vehicles due to extremely strong winds on 07/12 from 2:00 until winds subside to approx. 12:00.”

A later announcement said: “Based on current forecasts, the A5 Ceiriog and A483 Dee viaducts will close between 07/12 06:00 and approximately 21:00 due to high winds.”

Around three million people in Wales and south-west England have been issued an emergency warning by the government, with Storm Darragh set to hit the UK on Saturday.

In the biggest real-life use of the alert system, the government warned people of the risk of “danger to life” as a result of “flying debris, falling trees and large waves around coastal areas” on Saturday.

A “severe alert” sounded a siren for about 10 seconds to warn people in the area that could be worst hit by Storm Darragh.

The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for Saturday. Life-threatening winds of 90mph are expected to hit Wales and parts of south-west England, with significant travel disruption and damage to buildings and homes likely.

The Met Office has shared its latest updates on the impact of Storm Darragh over the weekend.

Here’s what Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly had to say:

The worst impacts of Storm Darragh will be felt in the early hours of tomorrow morning and throughout Saturday, and in addition to a wide yellow warning, red and yellow wind warnings are in place from 1am tomorrow.

In the red warning zone we could see wind gusts of up to 90mph along the coasts of west and south Wales, as well as breaking through the Bristol Channel, with some very large waves on exposed beaches.

Although impacts outside the red and yellow warning areas are less likely, that doesn’t mean you won’t see them.

We are likely to see the effects across the country and people should monitor the latest forecast details and prepare for severe weather, especially if they plan to be outside on Saturday.

Some areas are likely to have a relatively quiet start to Saturday, weather-wise, but winds will pick up quickly from the west during the day.

A rare red wind warning has been issued The Met Office as Storm Darragh hits the UK.

Here we explain what that means.

A time the warning is issued by the Met Office through the National Severe Weather Warning Service.

The goal is to protect people by warning them about bad weather and what the consequences could be.

Nine flood warnings and 164 flood warnings are in place across England, Scotland and Wales.

A flood warning means flooding is expected so people in the area should “act now”. It is the second most severe of the three levels of the flood warning system.

A flood warning, the lowest level, means flooding is “possible” and advises people to “be prepared”.

England’s Environment Agency issued eight flood warnings and 116 flood alerts, the Scottish Environment Agency issued one warning and 11 warnings, and Natural Resources Wales issued 37 warnings.

You can check if your area is at risk of flooding using the following links:

As Storm Darragh hits the UK, here’s a reminder of how and why storms get their names: