Thousands still without power as Storm Darragh warnings end

There was further wind and rain for some on Sunday, although the storm has now moved away from the UK

Tens of thousands of people are facing another night without power after Storm Darragh swept across the UK.

A final yellow weather warning for wind in England and Wales expired on Sunday evening, with the storm having now moved away into Europe.

Gusts of up to 58mph inland and 67mph in coastal areas were recorded throughout the day, and travel disruption also continued.

Dozens of flood warnings are still in place across the UK due to river levels swelling after days of downpours, while localised clean up efforts are ongoing to clear fallen trees and debris.

About 118,000 customers were without power as of 19:00 GMT on Sunday as a result of damage caused by Darragh, the Energy Networks Association, which represents energy networks in the UK, said.

But it added that 1.8m customers – 94% of those affected by storm-related power cuts – had had their supplies restored by network operators.

Millions experienced further rain and wind on Sunday, although conditions were less severe than on Saturday which saw a rare red Met Office warning and gusts of up to 96mph recorded. Amber warnings were also in place covering a number of areas.

The conditions led to two deaths during the storm when trees fell on vehicles in Lancashire and the West Midlands in separate incidents.

The first victim was named as local football coach Paul Fiddler, who was driving his Citroen vehicle on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 09:00 GMT on Saturday when the incident occurred. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Fiddler was in his 40s and was described by Lytham Town FC as a club “legend”.

A statement on Facebook added: “A well loved coach, football player, gaffer but most of all a true friend.

“Paul, thank you for everything mate. Our thoughts are with the Lytham Town lads, his friends and family at this time. Rest in Peace Paul. We will miss you.”

Concerns over flooding remain with 48 warnings for riverside communities in place. Another 137 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 16 alerts are in force. Previous warnings in Scotland have now been downgraded.

A largely dry night is forecast for the UK on Sunday, with clear spells further north despite a few showers lingering in south-east England.

Settled and dry conditions with wintry sunshine are expected for the north on Monday, with bright spells and variable cloud further south. The south and south-east may see showers.

Overnight on Saturday, nine cows were killed after a power cable came down at a west Cornwall farm during the storm.

Eric Murley, who farms Higher Bojewyan, said: “It looks as though the cows were sheltering under a hedge and it just so happened that this cable was right above them.”

In North Yorkshire, 22 people were stranded in a forest after the storm brought down trees and power lines, blocking their exit.

Significant disruption to train travel continued on Sunday evening, with National Rail warning passengers to check their journeys before travelling in Scotland, England and Wales.

Falling trees caused damage leading to line closures and delays between Leeds and Wakefield, Wolverhampton and Stafford, and in Merseyside.

A landslip between Tamworth and Nuneaton meant trains had to run at reduced speeds, while a number of routes were suspended in Wales.

Several operators reported problems on Sunday, including power lines damaged by downed trees.

The M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire remained closed in both directions on Sunday afternoon due to strong winds, National Highways said.

Asked about the government’s response to the storm, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told the BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “We saw two people have lost their lives and there has been major disruption.

“I know the energy secretary has been speaking about the power cuts and has been making sure that people have the power, and my thoughts are with those who have had that disruption.”

Storm Darragh was the fourth named storm of the season following Bert and Conall last month.