South West prepares for the arrival of Storm Darragh
An amber warning for wind is in force
Last updated 6th Dec 2024
Drivers are being urged to be sensible and there's flood warnings in force ahead of the arrival of Storm Darragh - which is being described as a potential 'risk to life and property'.
The Exeter-based Met Office has issued an amber alert for wind with routes likes the the M5 in Somerset and A30 in Cornwall likely to be affected.
National Highways is warning motorists across the South West to prepare with the M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire already closed on Thursday night because of gusty weather.
The Met Office has published the Amber Wind Warning from 3am Saturday morning, to 9pm Saturday evening December 7 with a Yellow Weather Warning for both wind and rain from 3pm Friday December 6 through to Sunday December 7, at 6am.
The highest windspeeds are likely to be in the North of Devon and exposed areas down towards Dartmoor - with wind speeds of 50-60mph and some gusts over 60mph in isolated areas.
Around 15-25 mm of rain could fall across the county over the course of Friday and Saturday with exposed higher ground at the greatest risk of flooding.
Stuart Hughes, the Devon County Councillor in charge of roads, said: "We're well prepared but I would remind drivers to take care and please drive to the conditions,
“With high winds and rain there is an ongoing risk of icy patches from lower temperatures. All of this can make roads more slippery than usual.
“We know how high winds and rain impact our roads and there will be a possibility of surface water flooding and debris on the roads so please drive according to conditions and be aware that you may come across unexpected hazards.
“There remains a lot of leaves in the trees and when that is blown down it could lead to blocked drains and gullies and affect road drainage.
“We will have teams on standby once again we will be working closely with Town and Parish wardens to alert us to blocked drains and even undertake minor leaf clearance where possible and safe to do so but we also welcome any support from local residents.”
With such strong winds forecast many events scheduled for the weekend are being called off.
Organisers of Bath's world famous Christmas Market say it won't open on Saturday, while all football matches due to happen in Wales have been postponed.
13\0 flood alerts have been issued ahead of the fourth named storm of the season.
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for "potentially damaging" winds along 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.
Snow could also hit hilly areas of northern England on Saturday.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said the weather service is "a bit concerned" about the risk of flooding in parts of Wales and Northern Ireland where there is "heightened sensitivity" due to recent heavy rainfall.
Mr Stroud added: "The wind particularly is set to be reasonably disruptive and potentially quite damaging.
"We are rather concerned about the strength of the winds affecting the Irish sea coasts and this is likely to have impacts on Irish ferry services. Trees could come down onto roads and people need to be aware of this and allow extra time for travel, especially in rural spots."
Strong gusts are forecast to batter the country and the Met Office said the wind may cause disruption to travel, with difficult driving conditions likely.
A yellow weather warning for wind for all of the UK, except for central and northern Scotland, is also in place from 3pm on Friday until 6am on Sunday.
The Met Office warned that flying debris could cause injury or danger to life.
National Highways, which runs the UK's motorways and busiest A-roads, has issued a severe weather alert for Saturday and has warned motorists in the South West and North West to prepare for gale force winds.
It said routes likely to be affected by the strongest winds include the M5 in northern Somerset, the A30 in Cornwall and the M6 in Cheshire.
Storm Darragh is due to cross Ireland late on Friday, then parts of England and Wales on Saturday, clearing to the east of England on Saturday night or early Sunday.
The Environment Agency said it is carefully monitoring the progress of the storm ahead of the weekend.
Katharine Smith, flood duty manager at the EA, said: "EA teams are out on the ground and will support local authorities in responding to surface water flooding. We urge people not to drive though flood water - it is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car."