Storm Darragh brought gusts to 50 mph around London, making for tricky landings at Heathrow Airport. (Video courtesy: BigJetTV via Storyful)
PRESTON, England — A ferocious storm battering Ireland and the United Kingdom turned deadly as wind gusts topped 80-90 mph.
A man was killed in Preston when a tree fell across the A59 highway Saturday morning, smashing into his van, according to Lancashire Police. Wind gusts in the area were measured between 60-65 mph at times.
The cyclone, named Storm Darragh, brought even stronger winds to Ireland and the western shores of England and Wales.
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CARDIFF, WALES – DECEMBER 7: A Porsche is seen after sustaining damage from a falling tree on Cathedral Road on December 7, 2024, in Cardiff, Wales. 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. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images) ( )
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CARDIFF, WALES – DECEMBER 7: A Porsche is seen after sustaining damage from a falling tree on Cathedral Road on December 7, 2024, in Cardiff, Wales. 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. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images) ( )
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Waves crash against the sea wall and lighthouse at Porthcawl, south Wales, on December 7, 2024, as storm darragh brings winds of nearly 90 mph to the west of Wales and north-west England. High winds and heavy rain have battered western parts of the United Kingdom, causing widespread travel disruption. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP) (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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BALLYCLARE, NORTHERN IRELAND – DECEMBER 7: Workers cut a fallen tree blocking the slip road to the M1 to Belfast 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. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images) ( )
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PORTHCAWL, WALES – DECEMBER 7: Waves crash against the harbour wall on December 7, 2024, in Porthcawl, Wales. 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. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images) ( )
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An arborist cuts tree blocking a road in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, on December 7, 2024 as storm Darragh brings winds of nearly 90 mph to the west of Wales and north-west England. The UK’s Met Office had issued a rare red alert for high winds overnight to Saturday morning (0300 to 1100 GMT) covering parts of Wales and southwest England. Tens of thousands of people across the UK were left without power on Saturday morning after Storm Darragh hit the country with strong winds and caused pre-Christmas travel disruption. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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An arborist cuts tree blocking a road in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, on December 7, 2024 as storm Darragh brings winds of nearly 90 mph to the west of Wales and north-west England. The UK’s Met Office had issued a rare red alert for high winds overnight to Saturday morning (0300 to 1100 GMT) covering parts of Wales and southwest England. Tens of thousands of people across the UK were left without power on Saturday morning after Storm Darragh hit the country with strong winds and caused pre-Christmas travel disruption. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Damage caused by Storm Darragh in the back garden of a house in the Lenadoon area of west Belfast following high winds. Millions have been warned to stay indoors, thousands are without power and trains have been cancelled as the Government’s “risk to life” alert brought on by Storm Darragh came into force. Picture date: Saturday December 7, 2024. (Photo by PA/PA Images via Getty Images) ( )
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A photograph taken on December 7, 2024, shows a fallen tree blocking a road in Birkenhead, near Liverpool as storm Darragh brings winds of nearly 90 mph to the west of Wales and north-west England. The UK’s Met Office had issued a rare red alert for high winds overnight to Saturday morning (0300 to 1100 GMT) covering parts of Wales and southwest England. Tens of thousands of people across the UK were left without power on Saturday morning after Storm Darragh hit the country with strong winds and caused pre-Christmas travel disruption. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Pedestrians walk past a fallen tree blocking Greenbank road in Liverpool, on December 7, 2024, as storm Darragh brings winds of nearly 90 mph to the west of Wales and north-west England. The UK’s Met Office had issued a rare red alert for high winds overnight to Saturday morning (0300 to 1100 GMT) covering parts of Wales and southwest England. Tens of thousands of people across the UK were left without power on Saturday morning after Storm Darragh hit the country with strong winds and caused pre-Christmas travel disruption. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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BLACKWOOD – DECEMBER 06: In this photo illustration – Residents of some parts of Wales have received a RED weather warning as storm Darragh approaches the United Kingdom on December 06, 2024 in Blackwood, Wales, United Kingdom. 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. (Photo by Huw Fairclough/Getty Images) ( )
Nearly 400,000 people were without power in Ireland Saturday morning, according to ESB Networks. Widespread gusts of 60-70 mph were reported across much of the nation. Gusts reached 70 mph in Dublin and 87 mph in Mace Head along the northwest coast.
“The impact is nationwide and there has been extensive damage to electricity infrastructure so far,” ESB officials said in a news release Saturday. “From our experience of previous significant weather events, we anticipate restoration will take a number of days and it is likely that the areas worst affected will take longer.”
BALLYCLARE, NORTHERN IRELAND – DECEMBER 7: 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. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
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Gusts were even stronger once Storm Darragh crossed the Irish Sea and reached the shores of Wales, where a rare “Red” Weather Warning was in effect. The UK’s Met Office reported peak gusts of 93 mph at Capel Curig and 92 mph in Aberdaron.
Damaging winds carried through the heart of England with gusts reaching 40-50 mph with some spots nearing 60 mph.
Pilots battled gusts nearing 50 mph while trying to land at London’s Heathrow Airport, making for some white-knuckle moments.
At least 170,000 people were without power in Wales and England, according to PowerOutage.com.
Photos from across England showed numerous trees toppled and fences blown over as strong gusts swept the country.
Part of a fallen tree which has hit a car on Greenbank Road in Liverpool. Millions have been warned to stay indoors, thousands are without power and trains have been cancelled as the Government’s “risk to life” alert brought on by Storm Darragh came into force. Picture date: Saturday December 7, 2024. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
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Weather conditions were gradually improving from west to east over the weekend.