Storm Darragh: Met Office issues amber and yellow weather warnings with UK to be battered by 80mph winds

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The next storm of the season has been named by the Met Office as Storm Darragh, with rain and wind set to batter the country.

Winds of up to 80mph look set to hit coastal areas, while heavy rain will pour down across affected areas. There may even be some snow seen in areas above 200 metre elevation.

Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said: “Storm Darragh is an evolving system and will bring several hazards, including wind gusts of up to 70-80mph around western coasts, especially from Devon and Cornwall to southwest Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wind speeds in inland areas will be slightly reduced with maximum gusts expected to reach 60-70mph.”

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Storm Darragh is set to bring high winds and heavy rain to parts of the UK.Storm Darragh is set to bring high winds and heavy rain to parts of the UK.
Storm Darragh is set to bring high winds and heavy rain to parts of the UK. | Getty Images

He added that unsettled weather will begin to hit the UK from Thursday (December 5) before the storm arrives later on Friday, saying: “Today [Thursday] we will see bouts of heavy rain and squally winds moving eastwards across the UK with the bulk of the rain moving away from the UK by late evening. Tonight, will remain largely dry with clear skies ahead of Storm Darragh which will begin to impact Northern Ireland Friday evening.”

Amber and yellow weather warnings for rain and snow have been issued by the weather service. A yellow rain warning is in place from 2pm until 6pm on Thursday, covering the north-west of England including Manchester and Liverpool, as well a North Wales.

There is also a yellow wind warning from 3pm Thursday until 3am on Friday for wind. It is in place across the Midlands, Wales, stretching up the west coast of Scotland and into Northern Ireland, with winds of up to 70mph in the worst affected places.

The amber weather warning for wind is in place across the west coast from South Ayrshire in Scotland, across to down to Cornwall, from 3am until 9pm on Saturday. A yellow warning for wind is in place for Sunday across England, parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

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Storm Darragh comes weeks after Storm Bert and Storm Conall hit the country. Both storms caused chaos on roads and rail, with warnings that Storm Darragh could imapct road conditions once again.

Dale Hipkiss, duty manager at National Highways, said: “If you're planning to drive over the next few days, prepare in advance for the journey and take extra care on the roads. If weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour to manage the conditions as safely as possible. It’s also a good idea for drivers to check their vehicles, such as tyres, coolant and oil levels, before heading out to reduce the risk of breakdowns.” 

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