Millions warned to stay indoors across South West as Storm Darragh hits
Wind speeds have already reached 90 miles per hour in some spots
Last updated 7th Dec 2024
The South West is being hit hard by Storm Darragh as it makes it way across the country.
A rare red weather warning for the South West was brought in by the Met Office on Saturday morning (December 7th), urging residents to "stay indoors if you can".
An emergency alert was sent to everyone whose phone was compatible in the area - in the first realtime use of the new system, which was introduced in 2023.
Gusts of up to 93 miles per hour have been recorded throughout the country as the storm continues to batter the country.
Thousands of homes have also been left without power as a result of the weather system, with the National Grid saying that the over 55,000 customers were cut off from the supply in the South West, Wales and the West Midlands.
As a result of the storm, several football fixtures - including Bristol Rovers' clash with Bolton Wanderers has been cancelled due to "safety reasons".
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds described the storm as a "challenging situation" as the strong winds continue to hit.
"About three million homes will have had the emergency alert system to their mobile phone. I would just encourage anyone who has had that to follow the advice," Reynolds explained.
He added: "Where you can, stay inside, don't put yourself at risk, and just follow the advice at all times."
The Met Office said that the storm will reach its peak at about 7am on Saturday morning, but winds could pick up further still later in the morning.
Tom Morgan from the meteorological society has said that wind speed increases, particularly in the South West could be "possible".