The Met Office has issued a rare Red weather warning and Brits have been warned it is “too dangerous to drive.”
There is a “danger to life” warning in place as “extreme” 90mph winds are to batter the UK as there will be a “period of extremely strong winds” that will develop this weekend.
The rare Red weather alert is in place from 3am on Saturday morning and will last until 11am and it is likely to impact large areas of Wales and south west England.
The Met Office has said that Storm Darragh will cause “significant disruption” and there is a “danger to life” warning as there could be flying debris.
The Met Office said, “A period of extremely strong winds will develop during the early hours of Saturday morning as Storm Darragh moves across the Irish Sea. Gusts of 90 mph or more are possible over coasts and hills of west and south Wales, as well as funnelling through the Bristol Channel with some very large waves on exposed beaches.
“The strongest winds will begin to ease from late morning, though it will remain very windy with Amber wind warnings still in force until the evening.”
Met Office Chief Forecaster, Jason Kelly, said, “The worst impacts from Storm Darragh will be felt as we go through the early hours of tomorrow morning and throughout Saturday with, in addition to the broad yellow warning, red and amber wind warnings in place from 1 am tomorrow.
“In the red warning area, we could see wind gusts of up to 90 miles per hour along the coasts of west and south Wales as well as funnelling through the Bristol Channel, with some very large waves on exposed beaches.
“Although there is a lower likelihood of impacts outside of the red and amber warning areas this doesn’t mean you won’t see them. We are likely to see impacts across the whole of the country and people should keep an eye on the latest forecast details and prepare for the bad weather, especially if planning to be out and about on Saturday. Some areas are likely to have a relatively quiet start to Saturday, weather-wise, but winds will quickly increase from the west through the day”
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.”
