Millions of people were advised to stay indoors as Storm Darragh raged across Britain, forcing thousands off power and into canceling trains by the thousand. The emergency “risk to life” warning was issued at 1am Saturday for areas in Wales and south-west England under a rare red wind warning from the Met Office, it was the biggest-ever issue of the warning system telling people to avoid driving and staying indoors if possible.
At 5 am, more than 12,600 premises in the Midlands and south-west lost power, while over 20,000 homes in Wales were cut off from electricity. The Northern Ireland Electricity Network said it was unable to give restoration times due to widespread faults. National Highways closed the Prince of Wales Bridge, M4, and Severn Bridge, M48, because of high winds, and Network Rail Wales suspended all train services west of Cardiff due to fallen trees.
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The Met Office red warning, the most extreme, applied from 3 am through 11 am on Saturday. The coasts and hills of West and South Wales were expected to be gusting up to 90 mph, and the worst winds were forecast to decline by late morning. Mobile phones in the affected regions received an Emergency Alert issued by the Cabinet Office; however, some people reported not getting the alert.
Amber alert went as far south from southern Scotland to Cornwall and all over Northern Ireland until 9 pm. The risk for it was flying debris, trees falling, large waves and significant damage to structures. Flights were rerouted to Dublin, and many flights out of Heathrow had to be canceled as a result of the storm that had hit Britain. Heavy rain is also forecasted, with more than 120 flood warnings in place on Saturday. A yellow rain warning is still in place for parts of Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
Transport disruptions continued across the network, with National Rail advising passengers to check their journeys, as services may be cancelled or delayed. Chiltern Railways asked customers to only travel if necessary and announced a reduced timetable, allowing tickets to be used on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.
