Storm Darragh wreaked havoc in South Wales, leaving communities without power and causing tragic fatalities as winds reached nearly 90mph
South Wales: Storm Darragh hit hard over the weekend. It closed major roads, knocked out power for thousands, and brought winds that nearly hit 90mph. It was wild!
Sadly, the storm claimed lives too. A man in his 40s died in Lancashire when a tree fell on his van. Another man lost his life in Birmingham under similar circumstances. Just heartbreaking.
The Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for Wales, the first since Storm Eunice in 2022. It covered a lot of areas, including Cardiff and Swansea.
At one point, both Severn Bridges were shut down, forcing drivers to take three-hour detours. Cardiff Airport also had to cancel hundreds of flights because the runway was unusable.
Natural Resources Wales issued over 100 flood alerts and warnings as river levels kept rising from the heavy rain. Risca, a town in Gwent, faced flooding for the second time in just two weeks, which really hurt local businesses.
By Sunday morning, the rain had stopped, but amber and yellow warnings for wind were still in effect. The M4 Prince of Wales Bridge reopened, but the Severn Bridge on the M48 stayed closed until Sunday evening.
Power cuts affected more than 140,000 people, with some in Newport without electricity for nearly 24 hours. Local councils and police worked hard to clear fallen trees blocking roads in several areas.
Transport for Wales had to cancel all train journeys from midday Saturday, and only a few routes were running by Sunday. Thankfully, by Monday, the storm had passed, and no further weather warnings were in place.
Wind speeds are expected to calm down by Wednesday, so hopefully, things will get back to normal soon.