Leeds weather: 'Danger to life' yellow warning issued as heavy winds from Storm Darragh set to cause havoc
Leeds residents have been warned that heavy winds are set to batter the region from today and throughout the weekend.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind lasting from 3pm today (Friday) until 6am on Sunday morning as Storm Darragh causes chaos across the country.
The 39-hour weather warning comes with a notice to be aware of possible injuries and danger to life from flying debris. Residents are also warned that the heavy winds - which are forecast to reach over 50mph on Saturday afternoon - could cause damage to buildings, power cuts, road closures and disruption to public transport services.
Heavy rainfall is also forecast throughout tonight and Saturday and into Sunday.
A red weather warning - the most severe - is in place along the West coast of Wales tomorrow (Saturday) while there are various weather warnings in place for the whole of the UK.
Met Office Chief Forecaster, Jason Kelly, said: “The worst impacts from Storm Darragh will be felt as we go through the early hours of tomorrow morning and throughout Saturday with, in addition to the broad yellow warning, red and amber wind warnings in place from 1 am tomorrow. In the red warning area, we could see wind gusts of up to 90 miles per hour along the coasts of west and south Wales as well as funnelling through the Bristol Channel, with some very large waves on exposed beaches.
“Although there is a lower likelihood of impacts outside of the red and amber warning areas this doesn’t mean you won’t see them. We are likely to see impacts across the whole of the country and people should keep an eye on the latest forecast details and prepare for the bad weather, especially if planning to be out and about on Saturday. Some areas are likely to have a relatively quiet start to Saturday, weather-wise, but winds will quickly increase from the west through the day”
For the latest weather situation please stay up to date with the National Severe Weather Warnings.
Those intending on travelling in the coming days are urged to prepare in advance and take extra care on the roads.
Dale Hipkiss, Duty Manager at National Highways, said: “If weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour to manage the conditions as safely as possible. It’s also a good idea for drivers to check their vehicles, such as tyres, coolant and oil levels, before heading out to reduce the risk of breakdowns.”