Further disruption expected as strong winds continue in wake of Storm Darragh

Strong winds will continue across Wales on Sunday following the widespread disruption caused by Storm Darragh.

A fresh yellow Met Office wind warning came into force for Wales and much of England at 6am this morning.

Winds could reach 70mph around coasts during the morning after gusts in excess of 90 miles an hour were recorded on Saturday. Northern Ireland was exposed to wind gusts of up to 80mph overnight.

The Met Office recorded wind speeds of up to 93mph on Saturday morning in Capel Curig in north Wales, with 92mph reached in Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula.Winds in other parts of Wales topped 80mph.

The storm caused serious damage to Llandudno Pier on Saturday as it battered the Welsh coast.

It’s feared the popular tourist attraction could face a lengthy period out of commission after suffering damage estimated at hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The Met office has warned of further travel disruption and says power cuts are likely until 6pm.

Thousands of people were left without power in Wales on Saturday and millions were warned to stay indoors.

National Resources Wales has issued 21 flood warnings and 36 flood alerts and has also confirmed that all of its trails have been closed today.

Calmer

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: “It’s not quite the calm after the storm, but it is calmer than yesterday, for sure.

“There are still some disruptive winds around because whilst the low that is Storm Darragh has now cleared away towards the south east, tightly-packed isobars across much of the country indicate we do still have some very windy weather to come through today.

“The strongest gusts will be through this morning around coastal parts, 60 to 70 miles per hour. Inland, 40 to 50[mph] seems quite likely.

“There will also be some wet weather around, particularly across central and eastern parts of England, some heavier outbreaks of rain for a time. Further west [there is] a greater chance of staying dry, and there will be some sunshine breaking through at times too.”

The winds are expected to slowly ease from the north throughout the day, the Met Office said.

National Highways said the M48 at Severn Bridge between J1 and J2 and the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge were both closed due to strong winds. A number of Transport for Wales services remain suspended, with the operator advising customers not to travel on Sunday.

Alert

The Government’s “risk to life” Red Alert came into effect at 1am on Saturday and was sent to people within the area covered by the Met Office’s rare red warning for wind in parts of Wales and south-west England.

Energy Networks Association said 259,000 customers across England, Scotland and Wales were without power as of Saturday evening.

It said that 80% of homes affected by the storm have now been reconnected.