Households are being urged to prepare for extreme weather conditions on Saturday after a rare red weather warning was issued by the Met Office.
The forecaster warned that there is a ‘danger to life’ in parts of the UK on Saturday from 3am to 11am due to strong winds.
The Met Office said power cuts could affect services such as mobile phone coverage, while flying debris and falling trees could pose a danger to life.
The red warning was put in place for the Welsh coast from Bangor in North Wales down to Cardiff in South Wales and all along the coast, as well as Somerset and Gloucestershire in the south of England.
But almost the entirety of the rest of the UK is set to face yellow or amber warnings for wind, rain and even snow across Saturday and Sunday.
The forecaster 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 90mph 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.”
In its advice on preparing for severe weather, the Met Office urges homes to make sure they’re fully prepared because the inclement conditions can lead to travel disruption and power cuts.
First, make sure mobile phones are charged, and keep a spare fully charged battery pack on hand.
This is because snow and rain as well as strong winds, all of which are in this batch of warnings, can cause localised power cuts, so it’s best to prepare for a loss of connectivity. Landlines, also, can be cut during storms, so charging your mobile is the best way to be ready.
The Met Office said: “People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance and it’s easy to do. The essentials that could help you cope with a power cut are: battery candles, torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack.
“If your power goes out these simple steps can help you deal with the situation: Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended, ready for when the power comes back on.
“Leave a light on, so you know when the power cut has been fixed.
“Check to see if your neighbours are safe and if they have a power cut too. If they have power, your trip switch may have activated.”
If you do experience a power cut, you shouldn’t call your energy supplier or call 999, the number to ring is 105.
