The UK government has sent an exigency alert to millions of Britons mobile phones arsenic Storm Darragh descends.
Three cardinal radical crossed parts of southwest England and parts of Wales person been sent the alert aft the Met Office issued a uncommon 'danger to life' reddish upwind informing for tomorrow.
Brits successful Devon, Bath, North East North East Somerset, City of Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Somerset person received the message.
Welsh residents located successful Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Monmouthshire and Newport person besides been alerted.
It comes arsenic Storm Darragh struck Britain contiguous arsenic Christmas events and formation were cancelled, and shot games postponed arsenic the 90mph winds made determination mode crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
A Cabinet Office Spokesperson said:' The Met Office has issued a reddish informing for upwind crossed parts of England and Wales from 0300 hrs until 1100 hrs connected Saturday 7th December.
'In airy of the damaging winds and associated disruption, the Cabinet Office volition contented an Emergency Alert astatine 1845 hrs connected Friday 6th December to radical successful areas covered by the reddish informing successful parts of Wales and the South West.
'The Emergency Alert strategy volition nonstop a connection to each compatible mobile telephone successful the impacted areas, containing accusation astir the reddish informing and guidance connected however to enactment harmless into Saturday.
'This volition beryllium the largest ever usage of the strategy extracurricular a trial scenario.
'Mobile phones volition marque a large siren-like dependable adjacent if they are acceptable connected silent. The dependable and vibration volition past for astir 10 seconds.
'The UK Government has good rehearsed plans successful spot for terrible wintertime upwind and is moving with teams from devolved governments, section authorities, the exigency services and different nationalist bodies to coordinate the effect to immoderate disruption.'
It comes arsenic the tempest swept crossed the Atlantic this afternoon, bringing torrential downpours acceptable to spark flooding and question chaos successful parts of the UK this weekend.
The 'significant disruption' informing from 3am until 11am covers astir of the seashore of Wales including Cardiff and Swansea, arsenic good arsenic parts of Bristol and North Somerset.
Two shot matches successful the Championship - Cardiff City v Watford and Plymouth Argyle v Oxford United - were called disconnected due to the fact that of concerns for supporters’ safety.
Meteorologists said a play of 'extremely beardown winds' volition make during the aboriginal hours of time greeting arsenic the debased unit strategy moves crossed the Irish Sea.
Forecasters told residents to 'stay indoors if you can' and 'avoid travelling by roadworthy during perchance unsafe conditions - it is not harmless to thrust successful these conditions'.
Yellow and amber warnings were besides imposed for different parts of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, with those relating to the tempest starting astatine 3pm today.
Flights could beryllium delayed - with Ryanair informing of 'potential disruptions to oregon from the UK', and Jet2 saying: 'We program to run our flights arsenic adjacent to docket arsenic possible, nevertheless determination whitethorn beryllium immoderate disruption should the upwind deteriorate.'
Homeowners were urged to unafraid escaped items extracurricular their properties specified arsenic Christmas decorations, bins, plot furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds and fences.
The reddish alert, issued conscionable aft 10am today, besides urged radical to 'consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile telephone powerfulness battalion and different indispensable items'.
Red warnings are a uncommon event, with the past 1 issued by the Met Office conscionable nether a twelvemonth agone connected January 21, 2024 for 99mph Storm Isha - and contiguous is lone the 19th clip successful records dating backmost to 2011 that a reddish informing has been imposed.
Meanwhile a bid of Christmas events this play were cancelled owed to the forecast, including markets successful towns specified arsenic Romsey, Hampshire; Taunton, Somerset; and Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire.
Elsewhere, the commencement of Bolton's 'Put Big Light On' lights festival was postponed, and an crystal sculpture way successful Darlington was besides enactment backmost by a week.
Longleat Safari Park successful Wiltshire said it volition not unfastened time owed to the tempest for information reasons.
In racing, Sandown's Betfair Tingle Creek Chase gathering and the Boylesports Becher Chase fixture astatine Aintree time indispensable walk precautionary inspections owed to the menace of precocious winds.
Belfast City Council said connected its website that the city's Christmas marketplace volition enactment closed time owed to the upwind warnings.
Tomorrow, the Met Office said gusts of '90mph oregon more' are imaginable implicit the coasts and hills of West and South Wales, arsenic good arsenic funnelling done the Bristol Channel.
Exposed beaches could beryllium struck by 'very ample waves' amid the 'damaging winds', and forecasters told of 'danger to beingness owed to flying debris and falling trees'.
There could besides beryllium powerfulness cuts, mobile telephone sum outages and 'damage to buildings and homes, with roofs blown disconnected and powerfulness lines brought down'.
This is simply a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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