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Millions of people have been told to stay indoors in parts of Wales and south-west England as forecasters warn of life-threatening conditions as Storm Drago packs winds of up to 90mph.
The Meteorological Department has issued its highest level red warning. As potentially deadly weather is expected. The alert is in place on Saturday from 03:00 to 11:00 GMT.
West and South Wales along the Bristol Channel coast are all under warning. The Met Office said the storm was expected to cause “significant disruption”.
About 3 million people in the affected area received a government emergency alert on their cellphones Friday evening advising them to stay indoors during the storm.
The alert added that people should consider stocking “flashlights, batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items you already have at home” in case of power outages.
Friday’s message was the biggest ever use of Britain’s warning system and when delivered to the devices, it produced a loud siren-like sound, which lasted for about 10 seconds.
“Being outside in strong winds puts you at risk of injury. Stay indoors if you can,” he said.
The Met Office’s last red warning was issued for winds in north-east Scotland in January.
The strongest winds hit the west coast of Ireland on Friday night and moved eastwards towards the Irish Sea.
Late on Friday evening, winds began to pick up across Wales and south-west England, with gusts reaching 74mph in north-west Wales.
Amber warnings are in place in Northern Ireland, Wales and western England until Saturday morning, while other parts of the UK have low-level yellow weather warnings.
Bristol Airport warned passengers that “disruption is expected” over the weekend, and passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling.
Cardiff Airport said it would not operate flights during the red warning and advised passengers to contact their airline or tour operator.
Both bridges connecting England and South Wales – the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge and the M48 Severn Bridge – have been closed due to the storm.
In Wales, all domestic football and rugby matches scheduled for Saturday have been cancelled, as has Cardiff City’s Championship match against Watford which was due to kick off at 15:00 GMT.
All of London’s Royal Parks will be closed on Saturday, including the Winter Wonderland attraction in Hyde Park.
In Northern Ireland, where there is an Amber Weather Warning until 21:00 GMT, a number of Christmas events have been canceled this weekend.
Belfast City Council said its Christmas market would be closed on Saturday, while events at the Enchanted Winter Garden in Antrim Castle Gardens were canceled on Friday and Saturday.
Storm Darragh is the fourth named storm of the season after Britt and Conall, which caused severe flooding last month.
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