Storm Darragh Continues to Cause Widespread Disruption

Storm Darragh persists in causing interruptions to rail services, roadways, and properties throughout the West Country. Great Western Railway (GWR) reported that no trains were operating through Westbury or Chippenham. On Saturday, both stations incurred structural damage from powerful winds. Over 10,000 properties across the region are currently without electricity, but engineers from the National Grid and Scottish and Southern Electricity (SSE) are actively working to restore the supply. A yellow Met Office weather warning remains in effect for England and Wales until Sunday evening, forecasting inland wind gusts of 35-45mph and up to 70mph in coastal zones. The M48 Severn Bridge remains closed due to high winds, while the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge and the Clifton Suspension Bridge have been reopened. According to the National Grid, 9,290 properties in Bristol, Somerset, and Gloucestershire are experiencing power outages. SSE, which provides electricity to Wiltshire, stated that 721 properties in that county lack power. Matt Turner from the National Grid described the weekend’s power restoration efforts as a “mammoth task” for engineers. He stated, “Engineers have dealt with hundreds of incidents over the last 48 hours, often in atrocious conditions, and so far power has been restored to 1.4 million customers across our all regions, including the South West.” He added, “We apologise for the ongoing frustration being experienced.” Turner concluded, “Repairs to faults on our network will continue tonight and throughout tomorrow as our teams work as quickly as they can to restore power.” An SSE spokesperson indicated that approximately 6,500 residential and commercial premises in England are still without electricity. They commented, “[Our] enlarged team is making considerable progress in what have been very challenging conditions,” and further explained, “In some areas, the winds were too high for working at height to go ahead safely.” On Saturday, GWR issued a warning to customers that issues on the train network would have a continuing impact into Sunday. Services between Bath Spa and Salisbury are suspended due to debris on the tracks at Westbury. Although the Bath Christmas Market has reopened, the train operator has advised passengers to consider alternative transportation if attending. Given the regional delays and the anticipated large number of visitors to the festive attraction, the operator has cautioned that Bath Spa station might be temporarily shut to prevent excessive crowding. Passengers holding train tickets for Sunday may utilize them on Monday. Individuals opting not to travel are eligible for a complete refund on their tickets.