More than 160,000 homes were still without power more than 24 hours after Storm Darragh hit the UK, the Energy Networks Association has said.
The storm caused widespread disruption across the country on Saturday when wind gusts were recored at up to 96mph.
On Sunday, a yellow wind warning for the whole of England and Wales remained in place for most of Sunday.
But the damage caused by the powerful winds meant tens of thousands of customers were still without power on Sunday afternoon, although 91 per cent of affected customers had had their connection restored.
The Environment Agency still had more than 50 flood warnings, meaning flooding was expected, across England on Sunday afternoon.
The continued disruption came as the first fatal victim of the storm was named.
Football coach Paul Fiddler was killed after a tree fell on his van on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 9am on Saturday.
Mr Fiddler was one of two people who died in the storms yesterday. The second was a man who was killed when a tree fell on his car in Erdington in Birmingham.
Key Points
- More than 150,000 left without power 24 hours after storm
- Victim of storm killed by fallen tree named as football coach
- Man recalls ‘devastating’ moment Storm Darragh ripped son’s pre-school apart
Storm Darragh causes chaos across UK as 96mph winds leave two dead and hundreds of thousands without power
05:00
Tom Watling
Storm Darragh: Train lines reopen but thousands remain without power in NI
03:00
Tom Watling
Heartbroken family pay tribute to ‘well loved’ football coach killed in Storm Darragh
01:00
Tom Watling
Storm Darragh map: Where are the weather warnings and when will it end
Sunday 8 December 2024 23:15
Tom Watling
Storm Darragh: Train lines reopen but thousands remain without power in NI
Sunday 8 December 2024 22:30
Tom Watling
Man recalls ‘devastating’ moment Storm Darragh ripped son’s pre-school apart
Sunday 8 December 2024 21:49
Tom Watling
A man who watched his three-year-old son’s pre-school get torn apart by strong winds from Storm Darragh in rural west Wales has described the experience as “devastating”.
Brett Stones, 45, looked on in horror as the roof of the Cylch Meithrin in New Quay, Ceredigion, detached and blew away on Saturday afternoon.
The area fell within the rare red warning for wind that was issued by the Met Office for the storm.
Mr Stones said the strong winds started in New Quay around 2am on Saturday before “everything went nuts” at around 1pm.
He told the PA news agency: “I’ve got dozens of trees down and fences and tiles, so instead of watching it all go wrong we went into the house. Then the power went out at about 2pm, so we were just sat around the kitchen table looking at each other.
“There was a big creaking noise from out the back of the house – the school is about 50m from my house – and a piece of fluffy insulation came into the garden.
“We ran upstairs to the window just as the roof peeled off and flew into the tennis courts.”
Mr Stones, owner of a local dolphin watching boat trip company, said bits of insulation from the roof ended up a mile and a half away.
Mr Stones has set up a GoFundMe page to fundraise for repairs to the pre-school, which had received more than £4,100 in donations as of Sunday evening.
UK must get prepared for extreme weather like Storm Darragh, climate chief warns
Sunday 8 December 2024 21:12
Tom Watling
Victims of flood struggle to contact National Grid
Sunday 8 December 2024 20:33
Tom Watling
A woman near Exton, Devon, said she feels “frustrated” and “annoyed” after struggling to contact National Grid to report a power cut since 5pm on Saturday due to Storm Darragh.
Deb Knowles, 43, told the PA news agency she was lighting candles and using a torch in her house on Saturday, and decided to take her unwell children to her mother’s house on Sunday.
“My mum is in remission and catching this flu or chest infection would be dangerous for her, but I have no choice, the kids need warmth, hot water and food,” she said.
She said: “I’ve been pretty much trying all night, all this morning, all day, to call the 105 number to report the outage, because on the website it’s saying that there is no known outage, so I don’t know if they know that we have nothing.”
“I feel very annoyed and very frustrated,” she said when asked how she feels about not being able to get through to National Grid, adding she has spoken to her neighbours and they are “all in the same sort of situation”.
Victim of Storm Darragh who was killed by fallen tree named as football coach
Sunday 8 December 2024 20:02
Alex Ross
The first victim of Storm Darragh, who was killed after a tree fell on to his van in Lancashire, has been named locally as football coach Paul Fiddler.
Mr Fiddler, who was in his 40s, was driving his Citroen vehicle on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 9am on Saturday.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Lytham Town FC said on Facebook that Mr Fiddler was a club “legend”.
It added: “A well loved coach, football player, gaffer but most of all a true friend.
“Paul, thank you for everything mate. Our thoughts are with the Lytham Town lads, his friends and family at this time.
“Rest in Peace Paul. We will miss you.”
In pictures: Storm Darragh batters England
Sunday 8 December 2024 19:54
Tom Watling
More than 150,000 left without power after storm, says energy network association
Sunday 8 December 2024 19:14
Tom Watling
Around 161,000 customers were still without power as of 2pm on Sunday as a result of damage caused by Storm Darragh, the Energy Networks Association said.
In its latest update, the body said 91 per cent of affected customers had now had their supplies restored by network operators.
Storm Darragh leaves thousands still without power and flights cancelled after weekend of high winds
Sunday 8 December 2024 18:39
Tom Watling
Watch live: Planes battle Storm Darragh 90mph winds to land at Heathrow Airport
Sunday 8 December 2024 17:57
Tom Watling
Rail chaos in West Midlands
Sunday 8 December 2024 17:17
Tom Watling
Visitors who arrived at Birmingham’s celebrated Christmas market by rail may face major problems making the return journey, with many intercity trains cancelled as a result of the severe weather.
Between 3.30pm and 4.40pm alone, three CrossCountry Trains to Manchester have been cancelled, plus others to Edinburgh, Bristol and Cardiff.
West Midlands Trains to Hereford and Liverpool are also cancelled.
"Due to a tree falling on the overhead electric wires between Sandwell and Dudley and Wolverhampton, all lines are blocked,” says Avanti West Coast.
“Our services are currently unable to call at Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell and Dudley and Wolverhampton.”
“If your original journey was a direct service to any of the above stations then it will now involve a connection.
“For customers travelling from the north, rail replacement services are in operation between Stafford and Wolverhampton, Sandwell & Dudley and Birmingham New Street.
“For customers travelling from London Euston to any of the above stations, you may need to board a connecting service from Rugby to continue your journey.
“These alterations are expected to be in place until the end of the day.”
In pictures: Storm Darragh floods Britain
Sunday 8 December 2024 16:39
Tom Watling
Family light candles after 24 hours withotu power
Sunday 8 December 2024 16:05
Tom Watling
A woman near Rackenford, Devon, has said her family were lighting candles in the “pitch black” after going more than 24 hours without power due to Storm Darragh.
Theresa White, 55, told the PA news agency that the power went out at 12.30pm on Saturday and the family were without water other than one tap, forcing them to collect rainwater to flush the toilets.
“We had no internet and all our phone signals weren’t working, so we were basically cut off and we do live in a wooded area,” she said, adding they were too scared to leave the house on Saturday in case a tree fell on them.
Ms White said she initially felt “a bit let down” to be told by EDF that power would not be restored until 8pm on Monday, but the power returned at around 3pm on Sunday.
Rail chaos ongoing in Wales and Scotland
Sunday 8 December 2024 15:36
Simon Calder
Transport for Wales is advising passengers to postpone journeys. The organisation says: “Storm Darragh is expected to bring heavy rain and wind and will continue today.
Some services will be cancelled in the South West Wales, and on the North Wales Coast, Heart of Wales, and Cambrian lines where the weather is expected to be the worst. Speed restrictions will apply across the route, so journeys may take longer than usual. Services on all routes are subject to cancellation, delay and alteration.”
A fallen tree between Wolverhampton and Stafford, and a landslip between Nuneaton and Tamworth, are causing problems on the West Coast main line.
In Scotland, speed restrictions are in place between Aberdeen and Inverness, Ayr and Stranraer, Edinburgh-Dundee-Aberdeen, Glasgow-Aberdeen and Glasgow-Carlisle.
Rail passengers endure another day of misery
Sunday 8 December 2024 14:55
Barney Davis
Severe weather and staff shortages are combining to make Sunday another miserable day for many rail passengers in the UK.
Great Western Railway (GWR) is urging passengers to “avoid travelling if possible” as Westbury station in Wiltshire is closed due to damage to the station roof.
The rail firm is also asking passengers not to travel to Bath Christmas market on Sunday, saying: “The cancellation of Saturday’s market means larger crowds are expected. If overcrowding becomes severe, we may not be able to stop at Bath Spa station.
In Cornwall, the line from Plymouth to Penzance reopened but has now closed again “due to a large tree on both lines” at Bodmin Parkway.
For travellers between Kent, southeast London and the centre of the capital, National Rail warns: “Multiple signals have failed in the area of London Victoria. This, in combination with engineering work across the network, is causing severe disruption to many routes.”
The lines affected are all on the Southeastern side of Victoria station, not the main line serving Gatwick and Brighton.
In northern England, damage caused by a tree that fell onto overhead power lines between Wakefield Westgate and Leeds is continuing to disrupt LNER, CrossCountry and Northern services. Northern has also suspended the link between Middlesbrough and Whitby.
In pictures: ‘Worrying’ floodwaters to rise in wake of Storm Darragh
Sunday 8 December 2024 14:15
Barney Davis
Residents are struggling with rising floodwater in Greyfriars Avenue in Hereford, Herefordshire, after Storm Darragh caused the River Wye to burst its banks.
Council leader Diana Toynbee posted on X: “A worrying day for residents of #Greyfriars #Hereford the #Wye now at 5.3 metres and still rising.
“Predicted to peak ‘this evening’.”
Flight cancellations hit 20,000 Heathrow passengers
Sunday 8 December 2024 13:40
Simon Calder
British Airways alone has grounded more than 100 short-haul international flights and 30 domestic services to and from Heathrow.
They include five round-trips to Amsterdam, and four to each of Copenhagen, Dublin and Milan.
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.
In total, at least 20,000 passengers are likely to be affected. Air passengers’ rights rules require airlines that cancel departures to provide flights on the same day if any seats are available on any carrier.
The cancelling airline must also provide meals and, if necessary, accommodation while the passenger is waiting to reach their destination.
The Independent has asked British Airways for a response. Separately, passengers on a United Airlines flight from New York Newark to London Heathrow endured a four-hour "flight to nowhere" after the Boeing 767 turned back just beyond Nova Scotia.
Big Jet TV continues to capture wobbly landings in high winds of Heathrow
Sunday 8 December 2024 12:30
Barney Davis
This is the moment a plane struggles to land at Heathrow Airport in the aftermath of Storm Darragh.
The footage, captured by Big Jet TV shows the aircraft battling the winds as it sways from side to side, before a bumping landing on the runway.
Oooof! Well done those pilots! BA282 on it's 2nd approach to 27R right now at @HeathrowAirport https://t.co/Y46DcchdmN @flightradar24 Watch live https://t.co/f26D9XyIf1 #StormDarragh #Heathrow
— BIG JET TV (@BigJetTVLIVE) December 8, 2024
BTW I don't think windscreen wipers would have helped here Jerry pic.twitter.com/OKiclGdMnJ
Weather warning in place across England until 6pm
Sunday 8 December 2024 12:01
Barney Davis
Strong winds will continue to hamper the majority of the UK on Sunday following the widespread disruption caused by Storm Darragh.
Gusts of up to 70mph could still lead to difficult driving conditions and short-term loss of power, with public transport also badly impacted, the Met Office said.
The forecaster issued a fresh yellow wind warning for the whole of England and Wales which came into force at 6am and is in place until 6pm on Sunday.
A separate yellow rain warning covering Northumberland expired at 9am.
The Environment Agency still had more than 50 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and more than 130 flood alerts issued across England on Sunday morning.
In pictures: Epic waves crash into Sunderland lighthouse
Sunday 8 December 2024 11:19
Barney Davis
National Grid say 58,000 properties without power in Wales
Sunday 8 December 2024 10:30
Barney Davis
About 60,000 homes and businesses are still without power across Wales after Storm Darragh battered large parts of the country.
Scottish Power reported numerous outages in its area, mainly across north and mid Wales, saying, in some cases, power would not be restored until Monday.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) added there were 21 flood warnings, external - the second highest alert - in effect.
Train lines reopen as Storm Darragh subsides but thousands still without power
Sunday 8 December 2024 10:29
Barney Davis
On Sunday morning, public transport provider Translink said all rail lines were open, although some speed restrictions are in place across Northern Ireland.
NIE Networks said 15,000 remained without power at 9am. They have indicated it may take a number of days to reconnect those customers.
Network operations manager Alex Houston said engineers are working to restore customers as quickly as possible.
“Most of the faults affecting high numbers of customers have been repaired.
“However, there are still around 1,200 faults across the network, some of which are affecting very small numbers of customers, so we do anticipate that it will take some time before we can get all of these cleared.”
Rail warnings as trees fall on to rails in high winds
Sunday 8 December 2024 09:41
Barney Davis
Network Rail have told passengers in the south east to expect widespread disruption today as high winds continue to batter the country.
️With Storm Darragh expected to bring strong winds again today, some services are likely to be disrupted.
— Network Rail Kent & Sussex (@NetworkRailSE) December 8, 2024
High winds can cause branches, trees and objects from further away to fall onto the tracks, damaging overhead wires and blocking the railway.
♀️ ♂️We are working hard to… pic.twitter.com/yQrgFy2ri6
Watch hilarious moment Coventry City football player struggles to take corner in Storm Darragh
Sunday 8 December 2024 08:15
Barney Davis
️ Impossible to take a corner! #EFL | #StormDarragh pic.twitter.com/MoXnqkrcjE
— EFL (@EFL) December 7, 2024
Yellow weather warnings remain in England, Wales and the far south of Scotland
Sunday 8 December 2024 07:55
Barney Davis
Strong winds associated with Storm Darragh will continue to ease gradually but yellow rain and wind warnings remain in place throughout Sunday.
This means:
- Some bus and train services affected, with some journeys taking longer
- Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport expected
- Some short term loss of power and other services
- Coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves
- Bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer
- Flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely
Whilst #StormDarragh is clearing to the southeast, parts of the UK could still see strong winds through much of today ️
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 8, 2024
Yellow weather warnings are in force for England, Wales and the far south of Scotland ⚠️
Stay up to date with the latest
https://t.co/j7ojlIej4g pic.twitter.com/FFnTjNm34w
60mm of rain expected to lash England throughout Sunday
Sunday 8 December 2024 07:10
Barney Davis
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.
Wightlink said the 8am car ferry sailing from Portsmouth and 9am from Fishbourne were cancelled, along with the 7.15am and 8.15am Fastcat services from Portsmouth Harbour and the 7.45am and 8.45am services from Ryde Pier Head.
Further strong winds to batter UK
Sunday 8 December 2024 06:00
Alex Ross
More strong winds are set to batter much of the UK after Storm Darragh swept through the country.
Gusts of up to 80mph could hit Northern Ireland until 6am on Sunday, before a fresh yellow Met Office wind warning comes into force across much of England and Wales.
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.
Flood warnings in place
Sunday 8 December 2024 05:04
Alex Ross
The Environment Agency has in force 64 flood warnings for areas it believes flooding is expected - with many located on the border between Wales and England.
A spokesperson said: “Local flooding from rivers and surface water is probable in parts of the West Midlands, North East and North West England on Sunday.
“Local flooding may continue into Monday and Tuesday along parts of the River Severn in Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire until Tuesday. Land, roads and some properties could flood and there could be travel disruption.”
Outlook from Monday
Sunday 8 December 2024 04:04
Alex Ross
Beyond the weather warnings for Monday, the Met Office says it will become more settled into the start of the week.
A spokesperson said there will be light winds for many and staying mainly dry.
However, they added that it will turn increasingly cloudy with patchy rain and drizzle lingering along the north and south coast.
Waterfall flowing upwards
Sunday 8 December 2024 03:04
Alex Ross
So strong were the winds in Northern Ireland on Saturday that footage caught a waterfall flowing upwards.
This video was taken in Coleraine in Northern Ireland where winds reached 62mph on Saturday.
A waterfall flowing upwards this afternoon in Coleraine, N Ireland due to #StormDarragh impacting the UK today! Video; Matthew Via BBC N Ireland. #Darragh pic.twitter.com/AkENYmiAu8
— WEATHER/ METEO WORLD (@StormchaserUKEU) December 7, 2024
Four in five homes that lost power now reconnected
Sunday 8 December 2024 02:14
Alex Ross
Energy Networks Association said 259,000 customers across England, Scotland and Wales were without power as of Saturday evening.
It said that 80 per cent of homes affected by the storm have been reconnected.
The Environment Agency had 56 flood warnings in place in England on Saturday evening, meaning flooding is expected.
Heartbroken family pay tribute to ‘well loved’ football coach killed in Storm Darragh
Sunday 8 December 2024 23:47
Tom Watling
Reminder of the two tragic deaths during Storm Darragh
Sunday 8 December 2024 01:00
Alex Ross
As part of our coverage on Storm Darragh, we’ve reported on the deaths of two men.
Earlier on Saturday, one man died after a tree fell onto his van in Lancashire.
The man, in his 40s, was driving his Citroen vehicle on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 9am on Saturday.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Later, West Midlands Police said another man had died in the storm.
The latest victim was killed when a tree fell and hit his car on Silver Birch Road, Erdington, on Saturday afternoon.
Sergeant Benjamin Parsons, of the roads policing unit, said: “Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time, and his next of kin have been informed.”
The road was closed with drivers urged to avoid the area.
More than 20,000 customers still without power in Northern Ireland
Sunday 8 December 2024 00:01
Alex Ross
More than 20,000 customers remain without power across Northern Ireland following Storm Darragh.
NIE Networks have warned it may take days for power to be restored to all customers in the region following damage caused by gusts of up to 70mph.
At the peak, some 48,000 were without power. NIE Networks said by 9pm on Saturday, about 22,000 remained without power.
A spokesperson said it is anticipated that a small number will have power restored overnight.
Damage in pictures
Saturday 7 December 2024 23:00
Alex Ross
Winds of more than 90mph caused damage to attractions, businesses and homes - the repair work now begins
Everton fan who travelled from South Africa ‘shattered’ as derby is called off
Saturday 7 December 2024 22:00
Alex Ross
An Everton fan who travelled from South Africa said his lifelong dream to watch his team play was “shattered” after the final league Merseyside derby at Goodison Park between Everton and Liverpool was postponed due to Storm Darragh.
Gareth Clark, 29, told the PA news agency he arrived in the UK from Cape Town on November 27 and has been staying in London, Liverpool and Edinburgh since then, with the Merseyside derby the highlight of his trip.
“It has been my lifelong dream to come and watch Everton, and I finally saved enough money to come and watch my first derby – and, of course, the final derby at Goodison. Also my first time that I have managed to come to the UK,” he said.
Mr Clark, a teacher, said he spent a “vast amount” of money on the trip, including around £750 for flights.
Mr Clark said he will likely watch Everton play in person in the future, but he is unsure when this will happen due to the financial cost of coming to the UK from South Africa.
“I’m a teacher so, realistically, probably not anytime soon. I’m getting married in April, and the budget will be quite tight. This one was a bit of a spur of the moment when my holidays ended and I had some money saved up.
“I really hope to be able to return to watch our last derby at Goodison, however, financially I do not think it will be possible.
“I’ve been a huge, huge Everton fan for a very long time, so I definitely think that I will be back, I’m just not sure when.”
Second man dies in Storm Darragh
Saturday 7 December 2024 20:17
Alex Ross
A second man has died in Storm Darragh after a tree fell and hit his car this afternoon.
West Midlands Police were called to Erdington in Birmingham just after 3pm today, following reports that a tree had fallen and hit a car as a result of the storm conditions.
Sgt Benjamin Parsons said: “Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time, and his next of kin have been informed.
“A report will be passed onto the coroner. Anyone who saw what happened or who may have dashcam or mobile phone footage, is asked to please get in touch.”
Mapped weather warnings: Saturday night/Sunday
Saturday 7 December 2024 19:35
Alex Ross
Weather warnings still in place
Saturday 7 December 2024 19:14
Alex Ross
Multiple severe weather warnings are in force across the UK for Storm Darragh.
An amber warning for wind covers the whole of Northern Ireland as well as the western coasts of Wales and England, the whole of England and Wales are covered by a yellow warning for wind until tomorrow.
An amber warning for rain is also in force for parts of South Wales where up to 80-90mm of rain may fall over the course of the storm. Further yellow rain warnings are in force for the rest of Wales and parts of southern and eastern Scotland.
#StormDarragh has brought increasingly strong winds overnight, but they are set to peak in the next few hours across parts of Wales and southwest England ️
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 7, 2024
Stay safe if you are out this morning, and keep up to date with the latest warnings ⚠️
https://t.co/j7ojlIej4g pic.twitter.com/Vg3O770gyd
Sailor living on yacht in Portsmouth harbour documents storm
Saturday 7 December 2024 19:08
Alex Ross
A sailor who lives on a yacht in Portsmouth said he was up all night listening to the howling winds of Storm Darragh and is “just riding out on coffee at the moment”.
Ed Coll, 29, told the PA news agency he has been living on a yacht in a marina in the city since January after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and decided to following his dream of living on a boat.
He has since recovered from cancer and has been documenting his experience living on the yacht on his TikTok @sailing.optimist for more than 5,000 followers.
Mr Coll has been filming his experience grappling with Storm Darragh, with one of his videos showing him preparing ahead of the storm gaining more than 1.2 million views.
He said the storm “sounds so much worse” in the marina with the various noises made by the wind and surrounding boats, adding: “Your mind can’t really switch off.
“My parents’ boat is four boats down from me, so I was going over there in the night to see if their boat was OK,” he said.
He pulled a neighbour’s dinghy out of the water in the morning after it had been blown off their boat by the strong winds.
“I heard this massive bang this morning and I was like, what on earth was that, and their dinghy had flown off of the front of their boat onto the pontoon and wedged down the side of the boat,” he said.
He added: “There’s a few boats in the marina where the covers have ripped. It’s just one of those annoying things. There’s nothing you can really do.”
Full report: Storm Darragh causes chaos across UK as 96mph winds leave one dead and hundreds of thousands without power
Saturday 7 December 2024 18:36
Jabed Ahmed
Storm Darragh map: Where are the weather warnings and when will it end
Saturday 7 December 2024 17:55
Jabed Ahmed
Pier manager bemoans loss of ice cream kiosk
Saturday 7 December 2024 17:40
Barney Davis
Paul Williams, general manager of Llandudno Pier in North Wales, said it may cost £250,000 to repair the damage Storm Darragh caused to the tourist attraction.
He said: “Overnight one of the kiosks, one of the original ones, which is roughly 148-years-old was ripped up.
“It’s the first time in its history that it has been tipped to one side.
“The ice cream stand at the end of the pier has been ripped up and it went into the sea. and there are about a thousand pieces washed up on the other side of the bay.
“The roof has come off the toilet and there’s real fear that we’ll potentially lose the bar and cafe down the end as well.”
He added: “Repair-wise you’re looking at about £250,000, easy.
“Potentially we may have to look at the pier not reopening for a considerable amount of time.”
