As we’ve been reporting, the Met Office has issued a red weather warning for Storm Darragh. But what does that actually mean?

What is a weather warning?

A weather warning is issued by the Met Office through the National Severe Weather Warning Service. The aim is to keep people safe by warning what severe weather is in store and what the impacts may be.

The warnings are given a colour – yellow, amber or red – depending on the combination of the impact the weather may have and the likelihood of those impacts occurring. Warnings can be provided up to a week ahead for severe weather including rain, thunderstorms, wind, snow and ice.

What does a red warning mean?

Red is the most serious weather warning the Met Office can issue. It means dangerous weather is expected and people are urged to take action to keep themselves and others safe. Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said red warnings are given based on “the impact, not the severity” of the weather.

How rare are red warnings?

Red warnings are issued “relatively infrequently”, according to the Met Office. The last red warning in the UK was issued in January for winds in north-east Scotland. Gusts of up to 99mph from Storm Isha killed two people and left tens of thousands of homes without power. Since the Met Office began issuing red warnings in 2011, there have been 20, with typically one or two a year.

In 2022, the UK had three red weather warnings, with the first ever alert for extreme heat in July 2022.

You can read more about red weather warnings on the Met Office website.

Jamie Grierson

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has urged people to be vigilant and prepared for possible significant flooding in areas of south Wales on Saturday and into Sunday.

While rainfall totals are not expected to be as high as those experienced during Storm Bert last month, further heavy rain experienced in Wales this week means the ground is saturated and rivers could rise quickly, NRW said.

Some rivers will also contain debris yet to be removed following Storm Bert, which could heighten flood risk.

Rhondda Cynon Taf, where between 200 and 300 properties were flooded during Storm Bert, was forecast to be hit by heavy rain once again.

NRW issued more than 30 flood alerts and warnings, while the Environment Agency in England put more than 20 red flood warnings in place, with residents and business owners told to “act now”.

Thousands of people across Northern Ireland, England and Wales have been left without power as they brace for the impact of Storm Darragh.

As of 5am, National Grid reported more than 12,600 premises had lost power in the Midlands and south-west, and more than 20,000 homes had been disconnected in Wales.

A note on the Northern Ireland Electricity Network’s website said the authority was unable to provide estimated restoration times.

“Due to the number of faults we are currently experiencing on the network, we are unable to provide an estimated restoration time for your electricity supply at this time,” it read.

“We are working to restore supplies as quickly and safely as possible.”

Seven counties in the Republic of Ireland have put under red wind warnings overnight.

Airports have warned of potential disruption and some ferries have been cancelled. A series of festive events have also been called off across the weekend.

Met Eireann’s highest level of alert cover counties Mayo, Clare, Galway, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo and Wicklow.

The taoiseach, Simon Harris, urged those living in areas covered by red warnings to take them “extraordinarily seriously”.

“A red weather warning does mean do not travel during that period of time, and even though it is a Friday night and coming up to the Christmas season, I’d really encourage people to heed that advice and indeed to follow closely weather advice in the hours ahead,” he said.

“Of course, there’s an orange weather warning for the rest of the country as well. So, really, people in that area should avoid any unnecessary travel at all. It is important people take these warnings very, very seriously in terms of protecting life in the hours ahead.”

In Mayo, the warning came into effect at 9pm on Friday and is place to 3am. For Clare and Galway, the alert is in place from 9pm to 2am. In Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, the warning came into effect at 10pm and is in place until 3am. The red warning for Wicklow is in effect from 1am to 6am on Saturday.

ESB Networks said the high winds are expected to cause damage to electricity infrastructure, particularly in counties subject to the red warnings.

The rest of the Republic of Ireland will be covered by a Met Eireann orange wind warning. In Munster and Connacht, that warning came into effect at 8pm on Friday and will extend to 10am on Saturday.

Both the Prince of Wales Bridge, M4, and the Severn Bridge, M48, which connect south-west England to Wales have been closed due to strong winds caused by Darragh, National Highways has said.

Dublin airport has confirmed it had welcomed a number of flights bound for other airports and were diverted due to the storm.

A number of British Airways flights to and from Heathrow, Paris, the United States and the Netherlands were also cancelled.

Network Rail Wales has said all train services west of Cardiff were suspended until further notice due to falling trees blocking the line.

National Rail has said Storm Darragh was likely to affect services across the whole network, advising people to check their journey in full before travelling as it may mean last services of the day are cancelled and passengers may not reach their destination.

You can find details on National Rail service disruptions here.

Chiltern Railways advised customers to only travel if absolutely necessary on Saturday, with significant disruption expected across the network.

A reduced timetable will be in operation, with one train an hour on all routes. Chiltern said customers with tickets on Saturday can use them on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday instead.

Stena Line said the storm would be “impacting” some sailings over the coming days, and Bristol airport said disruption was expected.

“Passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling,” a warning on the Bristol airport website said.

The Cabinet Office issued an emergency alert at 6.45pm on Friday to 3 million people in areas covered by the Met Office’s rare red warning for wind in parts of Wales and south-west England.

The emergency alert system sent a message to every compatible mobile phone in the affected areas, containing information about the red warning and guidance on how to stay safe into Saturday.

This included a line that said: “Strong winds can cause flying debris, falling trees and large waves around coastal areas, all of which can present a danger to life. Stay indoors if you can. It is not safe to drive in these conditions.”

It was the largest use of the emergency alert system outside a test scenario – the last test being in April 2023.

It is understood residents in Devon, Bath and North East Somerset, the city of Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Somerset, Isle of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Monmouthshire and Newport received the alert.

Mobile phones made a loud siren-like sound even if they were set on silent. The sound and vibration lasted for about 10 seconds.

The warning, which has led to the cancellation of events including Christmas attractions, is in place from 3am to 11am on Saturday.

The Met Office has warned of “damaging winds” with gusts of 90mph (145km/h) possible over the coasts and hills of West and South Wales. Forecasters say the strongest winds will begin to ease from late morning.

'Danger to life' warning issued for parts of UK as Storm Darragh hits

Jamie Grierson

A red warning for wind, signalling “danger to life”, has been issued by the Met Office for parts of Wales and south-west England as Storm Darragh hits the UK.

Gusts of 90mph (145km/h) or more were possible over the coasts and hills of west and south Wales, as well as funnelling through the Bristol Channel with some very large waves on exposed beaches, the forecaster said.

The rare red warning was in place from 3am to 11am on Saturday and signalled a danger to life due to flying debris and falling trees.

An amber warning for wind was already in place for large parts of the UK, with power cuts and flying debris possible amid the arrival of Storm Darragh, the fourth named storm of the season.

The amber warning for “potentially damaging” winds was in place on Saturday from 1am until 9pm for the west coast of the UK from South Ayrshire in Scotland down to Cornwall, as well as in Northern Ireland.

Yellow warnings for wind and rain on Thursday across parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England were extended to cover the north-east and south of England on Friday.

Flying debris could cause injury or danger to life and buildings may be damaged, such as tiles blown from roofs, the Met Office said. Power cuts and large waves should be expected, and some roads and bridges may be closed, with falling trees posing an additional hazard.

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.

Severe winds are already affecting travel in parts of the UK with the M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire closed on Thursday night because of gusty weather.

A yellow warning for rain will be in place for Northern Ireland and Wales, which were badly affected by flooding during Storm Bert, from 3pm on Friday until 12pm on Saturday.

Up to 60mm of rain could fall in these areas during the warning period, which may lead to some flooding and disruption, forecasters said.