Storm Darragh, a ferocious weather system that swept across the UK and Ireland, left a trail of destruction and disruption as it tore through the region with extreme winds and torrential rain. With winds reaching speeds of up to 93mph, the storm wreaked havoc in many areas, particularly in the hills of north Wales, where James Woodbine, a resident, felt the full force of the tempest.
At around 5 am, as Storm Darragh arrived, James Woodbine was abruptly awakened by a power cut in his 300-year-old cottage, perched atop a hill in Trofarth, North Wales. Woodbine described the strange noises that accompanied the storm, recalling, “There was a thrum coming from the ground, a rumble going through the building whenever there was a gust. I’ve never heard that before. I’ve been here for 30 years, and we had Storm Doris in 2017. But this is far worse. I’ve never seen a storm like it.”

Woodbine’s account highlights the terrifying intensity of the storm, which affected hundreds of thousands of people across Britain and Ireland. The Met Office issued a rare red wind warning, the 19th of its kind since 2011, indicating the severity of the situation and alerting the public to the risk of life-threatening conditions. The gusts and force of the wind were so intense that they led to a tragic loss of life and significant damage across large swathes of the country.
In Longton, near Preston, a man in his 40s tragically died when a tree fell onto his van as he was driving along the A59 dual carriageway. A second fatality occurred when another tree fell onto a car in Birmingham, killing the driver. As the storm picked up speed in the early hours of the morning, a Translink airport express bus veered off the road and crashed into a wall near Antrim, Northern Ireland. Fortunately, the driver survived but was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The scale of the storm prompted authorities to escalate their responses. The UK government issued an emergency siren alert, which was sent to three million mobile phones across Wales and South-West England on Friday evening, warning people to stay indoors. Meanwhile, Dyfed-Powys police declared a major incident on Saturday after receiving a high volume of calls about fallen trees, downed power lines, and other hazards that were making travel dangerous.
As the winds subsided, heavy rainfall followed, further complicating the situation. Flooding became a major concern, particularly in areas that had already been battered by the storm’s winds. Natural Resources Wales issued 27 flood warnings, while 17 more were issued in England. In total, there were more than 200 flood alerts across the UK, signaling that flooding remained a significant threat in many regions.
In Scotland, where an amber warning had been issued, additional flood warnings were put in place for the Borders and Tayside regions, heightening concerns about the potential for further destruction.
Despite the severity of the storm, many chose to take the risk and ventured out on the roads, though traffic was sparse in the worst-affected areas. Local businessman James Woodbine, who runs a glamping site called Woody’s Glamping in the foothills of Snowdonia, was among those who took precautions. A family of six, including four children, arrived at his site, hoping to stay in one of his tents. Given the warnings, Woodbine put them in a more secure lodge instead.
His wife also cautioned the family, saying, “There’s a warning—please, if you’re leaving, you’re going to have to take it very, very carefully.”
Most others, however, heeded the warnings and stayed off the roads. Traffic cameras across the country showed mostly empty highways, with even the notorious M25’s “road to hell” section near Heathrow seeing far less traffic than usual. The storm caused widespread disruption to air travel, with 83 cancellations at Heathrow Airport by Saturday afternoon, according to Flightaware, a flight tracking service. Several other airports also reported cancellations, and ferry crossings at Stranraer, the Western Isles, Holyhead, and Fishguard were all halted due to the storm’s severity.
The travel disruptions extended to the rail network as well. Network Rail reported 14 separate disruptions to rail services across the country, as strong winds and debris blocked tracks and affected train operations.
For many, the aftermath of Storm Darragh meant that everyday life was brought to a standstill. In the worst-hit areas, businesses were forced to close, and events were cancelled as the storm knocked out power supplies. The Energy Networks Association reported that by Saturday afternoon, around 177,000 homes in mainland Britain were without electricity. The power outages were widespread, affecting regions as far apart as Eastbourne on the south coast and Bamburgh in Northumberland. The association’s online incident maps painted a bleak picture, with an overwhelming number of outages stretching across large parts of the country.
As residents of affected areas came to terms with the destruction caused by the storm, authorities urged people to remain vigilant as the full extent of the damage was assessed. Emergency services were stretched to their limits, responding to calls about fallen trees, flooded roads, and power outages.
In the coming days, recovery efforts will begin as communities begin to clear debris and assess the damage to infrastructure. However, the damage to homes and businesses is expected to be significant, and some areas may take weeks to fully recover. The storm’s ferocity serves as a reminder of the power of nature, and how quickly conditions can turn dangerous in the face of extreme weather.
While Storm Darragh has passed, the destruction it left behind continues to shape the lives of those who were caught in its path. For many, it will be a storm they will never forget, as the roar of the wind and the crashing of trees will linger in their memories for years to come.
As the UK and Ireland recover from this devastating weather event, authorities are likely to review their emergency procedures and response mechanisms, ensuring that they are better prepared for the next extreme weather event. In the meantime, the impact of Storm Darragh will remain a focal point for those affected by its aftermath.