Storm Darragh: 96mph Gust Registered at Peak

Storm Darragh is causing significant disruption for travelers and has left tens of thousands of individuals without electricity. Great Western Railway (GWR) announced the suspension of services between Plymouth and Penzance, effective until at least 16:00 GMT. National Grid reported at 17:15 that over 12,300 properties in Cornwall and more than 12,500 in Devon were experiencing power outages. According to BBC South West forecaster Alex Osborne, a wind gust of 96mph was registered at Berry Head near Torquay in Devon on Saturday, marking the highest wind speed ever recorded at that specific location. Numerous roads remain impassable due to fallen trees, and a vehicle in Cornwall sustained severe damage from a tree that fell, though no injuries were reported. A yellow wind warning continues to be active across Devon and Cornwall, as well as significant portions of England and Wales, until 18:00 GMT. On Sunday afternoon, wind gusts in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly were still reaching approximately 50mph (80km/h), with expectations for the wind to diminish. Cornwall Council reported that 180 fallen trees had led to the closure of 35 roads. On Saturday night, police responded to an incident on the A39 at Perranaworthal in Cornwall where a car collided with a tree, resulting in a smashed windscreen. There were no injuries, and the road has since been reopened. Bude Leisure Centre in Cornwall is still closed due to roof damage attributed to the storm. GWR has confirmed that the Barnstaple and Okehampton lines, along with Cornwall branch lines, will stay closed until at least 16:00 GMT, and the sleeper train service to Paddington scheduled for Sunday night has been called off. The children’s theatre company Soapbox saw its big top tent in Devonport Park, Plymouth, destroyed by the storm, leaving it in tatters. This big top was scheduled to host 26 children’s performances from the present until Christmas Eve. However, the storm tore through the structure’s material on Saturday before it could be dismantled. Soapbox has since removed the damaged tent and intends to stage the shows at its indoor venue, located adjacent to the former big top site. Iain Slade, who is part of the Stiltskin theatre company and serves as a producer for Soapbox, commented: “It’s terrible, we watched the small rip appear in the tent, and it just got bigger and bigger.” He added: “The winds were too strong for us to do anything about it safely, so we had to leave the tent up and hope for the best.” Slade stated that even with storm forecasts, it was “too late” to dismantle the tent in advance. He explained: “It took four days to get all the infrastructure into the tent, and by the time we heard that the storm was coming, it was too late to take the tent down, because we would have to take everything out and lay the tent down on the ground.” “So we had to buckle up and hope for the best,” he concluded. Deb Knowles, residing near Exton, expressed feeling “frustrated” and “annoyed” due to difficulties in reaching National Grid to report a power outage since 17:00 GMT on Saturday, a consequence of Storm Darragh. She stated: “I’ve been pretty much trying all night, all this morning, all day, to call the 105 number to report the outage, because on the website it’s saying that there is no known outage, so I don’t know if they know that we have nothing.” The Energy Networks Association reported that approximately 200,000 customers across the UK were still without electricity as of 09:00 on Sunday, following the impact of Storm Darragh. The association also noted that 88% of the customers impacted by the storm had already had their power restored. A spokesperson for National Grid Electricity Distribution affirmed that their teams are diligently working to reinstate power in the affected regions. The spokesperson stated: “Strong winds and flying debris have damaged overhead power lines and equipment across the South West.” They continued: “Our teams are working around the clock in really challenging conditions. Just getting to some areas has been difficult, with flooding and fallen trees blocking roads.” “It’s really important if you spot any fallen power lines or electricity poles – please stay clear and call us on 105. If you have a power cut, call us on the same number, 105, to let us know,” they urged. For further updates, BBC Cornwall and BBC Devon can be followed on X, Facebook, and Instagram. Story ideas may be submitted to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.