UK NOW! 93 mph Winds and 44 Flood Warnings: Storm Darragh Strikes Britain

On December 7th, Storm “Darragh” brought heavy rain and strong winds to the United Kingdom, with gusts reaching nearly 93 miles per hour. In Wales, 27 flood warnings were issued, and 17 were issued in England. Several areas of Scotland also issued warnings.

In response to the flood threat, authorities in Wales and southwest England sent emergency alerts to over 3 million people’s phones. In some areas, a red warning level was declared, which is quite rare for this region; this was only the 19th red warning since 2011.

Across the country, hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power, and over 1,000 engineers were mobilized to restore electricity. Despite these efforts, many people remained without power even after two days.
The police in the county of Dyfed-Powys reported major incidents caused by uprooted trees falling onto roads and other destruction. Tragically, there were fatalities; two people lost their lives when trees fell onto vehicles.

Hundreds of flights across the country, including at London Heathrow, the busiest airport in the UK, were rerouted or canceled. Dozens of ferry crossings in the Irish Sea and the Western Isles of Scotland were also canceled.

In South Wales, Western England, and Northern Ireland, numerous train services were canceled. There were delays and speed restrictions on railways due to fallen trees and debris on the tracks; trains were limited to a maximum speed of 50 miles per hour. Rail companies advised passengers to avoid traveling as many routes had been disrupted.

During the night, when the storm was particularly intense, an express bus in Northern Ireland left the road and crashed into a wall. The driver was hospitalized.

James Woodbine, a resident of North Wales, said he had never heard such sounds caused by the strong gusts of wind. He compared this storm to the 2017 storm but claimed that this one was much stronger.

The intensity and frequency of storms are rapidly increasing, leading to huge material damage and loss of life. This time, the situation was particularly severe. Why is this happening? And most importantly, how can people protect themselves? The answer can be found at the “Global Crisis. The Responsibility” forum.