Storm Darragh tracker RECAP: Latest as storm claims first victim, Liverpool v Everton is postponed, 86,000 homes lose power, Met Office issues rare red alert
Published: 08:12, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 16:45, 7 December 2024
Storm Darragh has claimed its first victim after a tree smashed into a van on a dual carriageway.
The man was driving on the A59 at Longton near to Lancashire Police[2]'s Headquarters when the horror accident occurred.
Storm Darragh has caused carnage across the UK today with millions warned to stay at home with football matches and other events cancelled.
Amber and yellow warnings remain in place as the bad weather is expected to continue overnight and into tomorrow.
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Strongest gusts today peak at 96mph
The strongest gusts of wind recorded today have increased from 93mph to 96mph.
Here are the highest so far:
Winds ease across Northern Ireland
Here is the latest update from the Met Office:
A woman has been left stranded on a ferry for 13 hours after strong winds caused by Storm Darragh made docking in Ireland impossible.
Eileen Roberts, 52, and her husband were on their way back from London[3] to Belfast[4] last night when their journey was thrown into chaos.
The couple were meant to catch a Stena Line from the English capital last night, which was then cancelled, meaning they had to rush all the way to Scotland to board another ferry at 11.30pm instead.
Storm doesn't faze Santa runners
Runners wearing Santa Claus-themed outfits took part in a race through central London today.
The race went ahead despite strong winds caused by Storm Darragh.
WATCH: British Airways flight wobbles in terrible winds of Storm Darragh
Welsh pier popular with tourists damaged
Huts on Llandudno pier - a major tourist attraction - were damaged in the storm.
The owners said : 'Ice cream unit has completely gone. Penderyn Store - original 150-year-old unit - has been ripped off its foundations and tipped on to its side. Several pieces of lead roofing have gone.'
Couple 'gutted' after missing event they trained SIX MONTHS for
A couple from the UK have missed a fitness event they trained six months for after their flight was cancelled due to Storm Darragh.
Naomi Carter and her partner Phil (pictured) had been due to fly from Heathrow to Marseille today for a Hyrox competition.
She told MailOnline that the next flight the couple were offered by British Airways was on Monday, a day after the event.
Namoi said they didn't even make it to the aiport and were 'gutted'.
'Major incident' declared in Wales
A major incident has been declared in parts of Wales because of disruption from Storm Darragh.
Dyfed-Powys Police said it was continuing to experience high volumes of calls about fallen trees and poor driving conditions.
Superintendent Chris Neve said: 'I have this morning declared a major incident for the counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys, which means that together with our partners, we can call on the resources we need to respond to the challenges brought by Storm Darragh.
'I'd like to reassure the public that at this time, Dyfed-Powys Police is still able to respond to priority calls for service.'
Destruction in Burnham-on-Sea
Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset was hit by strong gusts of wind from Storm Darragh overnight.
Local Mark Price shared this photo with us of a fallen tree smashing through the fence in his back garden.
Swimmers brave waves of the storm
Hardy Swimmers take on the waves of Storm Darragh at Tynemouth Longsands beach in North Tyneside.
Storm has had 'very significant effect' in Wales
Storm Darragh has had 'very significant effects in many parts of Wales, including on transport, energy infrastructure and property', the Welsh First Minister and her deputy have said.
A joint statement from Eluned Morgan and Huw Irranca-Davies added:
On behalf of everyone, we wish to thank the emergency services and first responders who have been out through the night in dreadful conditions to keep people safe.Our thanks also to people throughout Wales who heeded the very serious red warning and emergency alert that was issued.Your actions truly helped the emergency response, and we are grateful.Work is ongoing to restore power to homes and reopen parts of the transport network, and our thoughts are with people who have suffered damage to their property and possessions from the storm.Many warnings and alerts remain in place, in particular around rivers, and people should be vigilant as the effects of Storm Darragh may be felt for some days yet.Ireland's PM thanks electric company crews
Taoiseach Simon Harris has thanked the crews for their work to restore power in a post on X.
Small businesses' tiles blown off buildings
Small businesses near the Bristol Channel in Somerset said tiles had flown off their buildings and they had faced delivery issues during Storm Darragh.
Eleanor Sedgwick, 23, a front-of-house supervisor at Scarlett's in Clevedon, said the cafe did not open on Saturday morning because it was 'too big of a risk'.
The years that I've worked here, I've never had to close because of the weather, apart from when it snowed.Ms Sedgwick said four tiles fell off their roof but she felt the business had 'got off quite lucky' compared to previous storms.
She added:
We're very fortunate because we are the first sort of wall (the storm) hit, so it's scary but I'm glad that everyone's happy and safe.Breaking:A man has died after a tree fell onto his van during Storm Darragh
Emergency services were called at around 9am today (Saturday, December 7th) after the incident which happened on the A59 at Longton near to Lancashire Police Headquarters.
The man, in his 40s, was driving his Citroen van on the dual carriageway when the tree fell on to his vehicle causing serious injuries. He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Mackenzie Kinsella, 15, from Sydney, spent GBP1,500 to attend the match that was scheduled to take place on Saturday afternoon before the clash was called off because of chaos caused by Storm Darragh.
The teenager, who has been a die-hard Everton fan since birth thanks to his Liverpool-born mother Rita, saved up his cash to enable him to go on a two-week trip to see Sean Dyche's side in matches against Wolves and Liverpool.
But it was the arrival of the Reds to Goodison that motivated his extraordinary journey.
The Toffees, who have played at their famous old stadium since 1892, will move to their new 52,888-capacity ground at Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
Ahead of the gut-wrenching news, Mackenzie's grandmother Jo, 75, who is putting the teenager up while in the UK, told the Liverpool Echo that she was devastated when she learned the game might be called off.
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