Storm Darragh could see parts of the UK battered by gales of up to 70mph over the coming hours, with the issuing a series of fresh warnings.
The storm has now been officially named with b the warning it will bring “very strong winds and heavy rain to the UK later on Friday and through the weekend”.
Chief Forecaster Jason Kelly said: “Storm Darragh is an evolving system and will bring several hazards, including wind gusts of up to 70-80mph around western coasts, especially from Devon and Cornwall to southwest Scotland and Northern Ireland.
“Wind speeds in inland areas will be slightly reduced with maximum gusts expected to reach 60-70mph.”
A series of yellow weather warnings from the will remain in force until Sunday. On Saturday an Amber weather warning for wind is in place to cover the areas at risk of the greatest impacts from Storm Darragh.
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Storm Darragh is set to smash the UK with strong winds and heavy rain (Image: WXCHARTS/GETTY)
National Highways warns motorists ahead of Storm Darragh
National Highways has issued advice to motorists ahead of Storm Darragh’s arrival.
Dale Hipkiss, Duty Manager at National Highways, said: “If you’re planning to drive over the next few days, prepare in advance for the journey and take extra care on the roads.
“If weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour to manage the conditions as safely as possible.
“It’s also a good idea for drivers to check their vehicles, such as tyres, coolant and oil levels, before heading out to reduce the risk of breakdowns.”
Motorists are being warned to take precautions (file photo) (Image: Getty)
Met Office video charts expected progress of Storm Darragh
The has posted a video on its X account which shows the path it expects Storm Darragh to take as it heads towards the UK.
It also appears to show wind speeds of up to 90mph in some places.
has been named and is forecast to bring very strong winds and heavy rain to the UK later on Friday and through the weekend u26a0ufe0f
u2014 (@metoffice)
What is causing Storm Darragh?
A large area of low pressure is expected to bring Storm Darragh’s strong winds.
Heavy rain will also feature, with the heaviest rainfall expected in northern and western parts of the ‘s amber warning area.
There is also some hill snow forecast for the north in areas above 200m elevation.
Map shows where wind speeds expected to be greatest
A weather map generated by WX Charts today shows where mean wind speeds are expected to be at their greatest by 3pm on Saturday.
Irish Sea coasts, the Bristol Channel and parts of the English Channel coast around Devon and Cornwall look set for the highest speeds, according to WX Charts’ map.
This map shows mean wind speeds at 3pm on Saturday (Image: WX Charts)
Which places are affected by the Met Office’s amber warning?
These are the regions and local authorities affected, as of midday today:
Blackpool
Cheshire West and Chester
Cumbria
Halton
Lancashire
Merseyside
County Antrim
County Armagh
County Down
County Fermanagh
County Londonderry
County Tyrone
Lothian Borders
Dumfries and Galloway
Bath and North East Somerset
Cornwall
Devon
Dorset
Isles of Scilly
North Somerset
Plymouth
Somerset
Torbay
Strathclyde
South Ayrshire
Bridgend
Caerphilly
Cardiff
Carmarthenshire
Ceredigion
Conwy
Denbighshire
Flintshire
Gwynedd
Isle of Anglesey
Neath Port Talbot
Newport
Pembrokeshire
Powys
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Swansea
Vale of Glamorgan
Wrexham
What are people being warned of in the warning areas?
This is what people in the amber warning areas are being warned of:
There’s a “good chance” of power cuts, potentially affecting services such as mobile phone coverage
Damage to buildings, such as tiles being blown off roofs, is possible
Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected by cancellations and delays
Flying debris is likely and could lead to injuries or danger to life
Some roads and bridges are likely to close, with falling trees a hazard
Injuries and danger to life are likely as a result of large waves and beach material getting thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties
‘Evolving’ Storm Darragh to bring ‘several’ hazards
chief forecaster Jason Kelly has said Storm Darragh is an evolving system and will bring several hazards, including wind gusts of up to 70-80mph around western coasts, especially from Devon and Cornwall to south-west Scotland and Northern Ireland.
He added: “Wind speeds in inland areas will be slightly reduced with maximum gusts expected to reach 60-70mph.”
Where does the Met Office amber warning apply?
This map shared by the gives you some idea where the amber warning applies.
The amber warning comes on top of existing yellow weather warnings for rain and wind also issued by the .
The warning for “potentially damaging” winds is in place for the west coast of the UK from South Ayrshire in Scotland down to Cornwall, as well as in Northern Ireland, on Saturday from 3am until 9pm.
This map shows where the amber warning is in place (Image: Map Tiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors/Met Office)
Storm Darragh named
The has issued a new update for Storm Darragh.
has been named and is forecast to bring very strong winds and heavy rain to the UK later on Friday and through the weekend u26a0ufe0f
u2014 (@metoffice)
Good morning
Good morning. I’m Jon King and I will be bringing you all the latest updates as Storm Darragh looks set to smash into the UK, brining heavy rain and strong winds to large parts of the country.
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