Storm Darragh has claimed the lives of two men after strong winds reached nearly 100mph, causing severe disruption and leaving over 250,000 people without power.
The first fatal incident occurred on Saturday morning when a tree struck a man’s van on the A59 at Longton, near Preston. The man in his 40s died at approximately 9 am. The second man was killed just after 3 pm when a tree fell on his car in Erdington, Birmingham.
The storm also caused significant incidents in Northern Ireland, including an accident involving a bus driver who was hospitalized after his Translink airport express bus veered off the road and hit a wall near Antrim.
High wind speeds were recorded at Capel Curig in north Wales, with gusts reaching 96mph. A “risk to life” warning was issued on Friday evening, affecting around 3 million people. In addition to the fatalities, storm conditions led to the cancellation of events like the Everton-Liverpool derby and the disruption of ferry and flight schedules, redirecting some incoming UK travelers as far as Germany.
A yellow weather warning for wind is still in effect across England, Wales, and the southern tip of Scotland, alongside a separate rain warning in north-east England. The Met Office has predicted up to 60mm of rainfall over the high ground of the Cheviots, Pennines, and North York Moors. The Environment Agency has issued 65 flood warnings across England and 21 in Wales, along with two in Scotland, indicating expected flooding in these areas.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency noted: “Local flooding from rivers and surface water is probable in parts of the West Midlands, north-east and north-west England on Sunday. Local flooding may continue into Monday and Tuesday along parts of the River Severn in Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire until Tuesday. Land, roads, and some properties could flood and there could be travel disruption.”
