Man dies after tree smashes into van as Storm Darragh chaos sparks investigation
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A man has died after a tree smashed into a van as Storm Darragh chaos has continued to wreak havoc across the nation.
The man - said to be in his 40s - was driving along a dual carriageway when the tree struck his car.
As a result, an investigation has been launched into the incident, Lancashire Police has said.
Emergency services were contacted earlier this morning following the horrific crash, which took place on the A59 at Longton near the police station.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Amber and yellow weather warnings remain in place
MET OFFICE
The red weather warning has now been lifted by the Met Office.
However, amber warnings for wing and rain continue to cover Wales and the south west of England.
Almost all of the rest of the UK is under a yellow weather alert.
With the most severe warning now lifted, GB News is closing its live blog.
Part of a tree, which has fallen over, has damaged a car in Liverpool
PA
The Met Office has issued another yellow wind warning across England, Northern Ireland and Wales tomorrow from 6am to 6pm
Met Office
The Met Office has issued another yellow wind warning across England, Northern Ireland and Wales tomorrow from 6am to 6pm.
The forecaster warned that strong winds brought over by Storm Darragh will not be as strong as those inflicted on the country today, although it might bring continued travel disruption.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Steve Willington said: "Storm Darragh is now moving across the UK bringing very strong winds, heavy rain and in Scotland some snow over the higher ground.
"These very strong winds will bring significant disruption, with the risk of flying debris, falling trees, large waves along the coast and power cuts.
"During this spell of severe weather it is important to listen to responders and emergency services in your area and keep up to date with the latest weather forecast."
Gales and heavy rain have battered Wales as Storm Darragh has continued to cause severe delays and disruptions across the UK, causing officials to declare a major incident across the region.
Police have said that they have received an abundance of reports of fallen trees and poor driving conditions after winds reached up to 93mph across north Wales last night.
Superintendent Chris Neve of Dyfed-Powys Police has declared a major incident for swathes of the region, including Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys.
He said: "The safety of the public remains our top priority and I am urging everyone to take the warnings that have been issued seriously.
"I’d like to thank our communities for their support at this time, and once again ask that you avoid unnecessary travel and follow all official advice to stay safe."
A Whitehall protest to call for peace in Ukraine - which was originally going to be held today outside Downing Street - has been cancelled because of Storm Darragh.
The protest - dubbed an “emergency day of action” - was organised by Stop the War Coalition and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Storm Darragh has plunged Britons into utter chaos as a rare red warning has caused major disruption as winds hit highs of 92mph.
Wales, south west England and the Midlands have faced winds that have reached speeds between 50 and 70mph in the past few hours.
As a result, residents have been urged to stay at home where possible as cases of severe weather affect regions across the nation.
The Met Office has lifted the red warning for wind in north Wales
GB NEWS
GETTY
An airport transfer bus has crashed into a building in Templepatrick, Northern Ireland as high winds take a hold of the nation.
NHS treatment centres across south west England have been shut after terrible weather rampages through the nation.
Integrated care system (ICS) for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Healthier Together has announced that Yate and Clevedon Minor Injuries Units will be closed.
Additionally, they added that Hengrove Urgent Treatment Centre was open, although it was running a reduced service.
A rare red weather warning has been issued for parts of Wales and South West England as Storm Darragh batters the UK with life-threatening conditions.
Wind speeds of up to 92mph were recorded in North Wales overnight, prompting the Government to issue an emergency risk to life alert this morning.
The severe weather warning remains in place from 3am until 11pm today.
A separate amber warning covers most of the UK's west coast from southern Scotland to Cornwall and Northern Ireland until 9pm.
The Dartford Crossing has been shut as Storm Darragh has started to wreak havoc across the UK.
National Highways has said that the QEII Bridge southbound across the Dartford Crossing from Essex into Kent has been shut over strong winds so that drivers have been diverted through one of the tunnels.
National Rail has also requested that customers check their journeys ahead of travel as some services - including the Cross Country Cambridge and trains to Stansted Airport - have been cancelled.
The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning which has covered the nation from yesterday afternoon until early morning on Sunday, with a red wind warning also impacting much of Wales and the South West of England.
PA
Approximately 86,000 homes have been left without power in the UK as millions of people have been urged to stay home amid travel chaos, according to the Energy Networks Association.
A spokesperson said that approximately 385,000 customers had been reconnected throughout the night, as the company announced that a thousand engineers were on stand by on Saturday morning.
Liverpool Lime St on X
Liverpool Lime Street station has said its teams have had to remove a tree that had been found on the train track at Widnes, Cheshire.
“We’re ready to respond to anything #StormDarragh throws at us,” the station announced online.
The Merseyside clash between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park has been called off due to Storm Darragh.
The fixture was scheduled to take place at 12.30pm on Saturday, but has been called off due to safety concerns.
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Met Eireann
The Irish Meteorological Service has warned of:
A whopping 31 flights have been cancelled at Belfast City Airport as a result of Storm Darragh's devastation across the nation.
A number of airports have been affected, including Heathrow, Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Amsterdam.
Additionally, Cardiff Airport has closed for the duration of the Met Office's red warning, between 3am and 11pm.
A post on their website reads: “Passengers due to fly this weekend are advised to contact their airline or tour operator, as we do anticipate some disruption.”
PA
Drivers have been warned ahead of travel to check their journeys.
Thousands have been left without power as Storm Darragh takes a hold of Britain.
This morning, the National Grid has revealed that more than 12,600 homes have lost power throughout the Midlands and south west, while more than 20,000 houses are in darkness in Wales.
The Met Office has issued a rare red warning as it warned of potentially life-threatening weather.
This Liveblog has now been closed.