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A man has died during Storm Darragh after a tree fell onto his van in Lancashire, as winds reaching more than 90mph have left thousands without power across Wales and the west of England.
The man, in his 40s, was driving his Citroen vehicle on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 9am on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Lancashire Police said.
Across the country, trees were brought crashing down and flights were cancelled amid wind gusts of up to 93mph recorded overnight in Capel Curig in North Wales.
It came as almost 400,000 residents have been left without power in Ireland after the country was battered by the storm.
The Energy Networks Association also said around 86,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales were without power.
The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool has been postponed as Darragh’s high winds strike, with 110mph winds expected at the top of Mount Snowdon.
Flights are in disarray across the UK, with hundreds of cancellations and some extreme diversions as planes abort landings at Heathrow and others are diverted to Germany.
A man has died during Storm Darragh after a tree fell onto his van in Lancashire.
The man, in his 40s, was driving his Citroen vehicle on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 9am on Saturday.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detective Sgt Matt Davidson, from Lancashire Police’s serious collision investigation unit, said: “Very sadly this incident has resulted in the death of a man and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time.
“An investigation is ongoing, and I would appeal to anyone who saw what happened or has any dashcam or mobile phone footage to please get in touch.”
Jabed Ahmed7 December 2024 13:36
Footage from Porthcawl, South Wales, shows people lined up close to the harbour edge to catch a glimpse of the storm on Saturday (7 December).
Porthcawl is covered by a Met Office red warning for wind, which covers parts of Wales and the South West of England, including Cardiff, Bristol and Devon.
Brave Storm Darragh watchers line harbour as 10-foot waves crash against wall
Brave Storm Darragh watchers line a Welsh harbour as 10-foot waves crash against the wall. Footage from Porthcawl, South Wales, shows people lined up close to the harbour edge to catch a glimpse of the storm on Saturday (7 December). Porthcawl is covered by a Met Office red warning for wind, which covers parts of Wales and the South West of England, including Cardiff, Bristol and Devon. The Energy Networks Association reported 86,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales were without power.
Barney Davis7 December 2024 13:30
An airport transfer bus is pictured after leaving the road and crashing into a house in Templepatrick during high winds on December 7, 2024 in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland.
Storm Darragh is the fourth named storm of this season and is expected to bring gusts of wind up to 80mph and heavy rain through the weekend.
(Getty Images)
Barney Davis7 December 2024 12:59
Trees have been blown on to tracks and station roofs dismantled by Storm Darragh’s heavy winds sparking mass cancellations across the rail network.
Barney Davis7 December 2024 12:34
This is the moment a plane struggles to land at Heathrow Airport as Storm Darragh hits the UK with wind speeds reaching 90mph.
The footage, captured by Big Jet TV on Saturday (7 December), shows the aircraft battling the winds as it sways from side to side, before a bumping landing on the runway.
Plane struggles to land at Heathrow Airport as Storm Darragh hits UK
This is the moment a plane struggles to land at Heathrow Airport as Storm Darragh hits the UK with wind speeds reaching 90mph. The footage, captured by Big Jet TV on Saturday (7 December), shows the aircraft battling the winds as it sways from side to side, before a bumping landing on the runway. Several British Airways flights to and from Heathrow, Paris, the United States and the Netherlands have already been cancelled. Millions of people have been warned to stay indoors, thousands are without power, and trains have been cancelled as the Government’s “risk to life” alert came into force.
Barney Davis7 December 2024 12:30
(REUTERS)
(REUTERS)
(REUTERS)
Barney Davis7 December 2024 12:25
Great Western Railway has warned passengers of “significant delays” as part of the roof of Westbury station – was blown off onto the tracks.
Many Great Western Railway lines are closed including Cardiff to Swansea and on to Carmarthen for the rest of the day, Plymouth to Penzance at least until lunchtime and all the GWR branch lines in Devon and Cornwall.
GWR has also issued a Do Not Travel notice for Sunday – but that is because of an expected shortage of train crew rather than bad weather. Anyone with a ticket for this weekend can use it on Monday
Barney Davis7 December 2024 12:15
Yellow wind warnings will be in place across much of the UK, including London and the South East, on Sunday.
The Met Office says you can expect to see:
Barney Davis7 December 2024 12:00
A surfer has been caught on camera catching an enormous wave at Porthcawl, south Wales during Storm Darragh.
Winds in other parts of Wales topped 80mph, while gusts of up to 77mph were recorded in Northern Ireland and south-west England, the forecaster said.
(AFP via Getty Images)
(AFP via Getty Images)
(AFP via Getty Images)
Barney Davis7 December 2024 11:43