Guest Posted December 8, 2024 Posted December 8, 2024 Strong winds will continue to hit the UK on Sunday in the wake of Storm Darragh, which left two men dead and thousands without power. A yellow weather warning for wind remains in place for England and Wales into Sunday evening. Gusts of 35-45mph inland and 70mph in coastal areas are expected, with further travel disruption and some power cuts possible. Dozens of flood warnings are in place across the UK due to river levels swelling after days of downpours. While conditions are expected to improve into the new week, more rain and wind is forecast for millions on Sunday. It comes after the Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for wind, as Storm Darragh led to gusts of up to 96mph recorded on Saturday. The conditions led to two deaths during the storm when trees fell on vehicles in Lancashire and the West Midlands in separate incidents. More flooding is expected on Sunday, with 54 warnings for riverside communities in place. Another 136 less severe flood alerts have also been issued by the Environment Agency. In Wales, which is still recovering from flooding caused by Storm Bert last month, nine flood warnings and 19 alerts are in force. Previous warnings in Scotland have now been downgraded. 2:29 Weather forecast as Storm Darragh brings wind and rain The Energy Networks Association said on Saturday evening that 259,000 customers were still without power across England, Scotland and Wales, with work to restore supplies ongoing overnight. Northern Ireland Electricity Networks said more than 15,000 properties were without power on Saturday evening and warned it may take days for supplies to be fully restored. At the storm's peak, more than 95,000 premises were affected. Disruption to train travel is also set to continue on Sunday, with National Rail warning passengers to check their journeys before travelling. It said there is likely to be "significant disruption" to services in south-west Scotland, north and south-west England and Wales. Several operators were reporting problems on Sunday morning, including power lines damaged by downed trees. Speed restrictions are in place on some routes. The M48 at Severn Bridge between England and Wales is expected to be closed until midday, according to National Highways. BBC Weather Watchers/Serena A fallen tree blocks a canal in Gnosall, StaffordshireBBC Weather Watchers/Serena A fallen tree blocks a canal in Gnosall, Staffordshire While strong winds continued to be forecast on Sunday, Storm Darragh is set to pull away south-eastwards, meaning conditions will not be as extreme as they were on Saturday. For much of Wales, south-west England and Northern Ireland, Sunday is expected to be dry, turning sunnier later in the day. Scattered wintry showers in Scotland are expected to ease through the afternoon. Heavy rain is set to continue across north-east England, where a yellow warning for rain is in place until 09:00, but will ease later. Rain is also expected in across eastern, central and south-east England. A northerly wind means Sunday will feel cold and a frost is expected to develop overnight for many. Storm Darragh was the fourth named storm of the season following Bert and Conall last month. 1:24 Planes wobble at Heathrow during Storm Darragh Storm Darragh in pictures: Fallen trees, crushed cars and crashing waves Man dies as tree falls on van in storm School roof blown of
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