Full record of occasions cancelled by Storm Darragh as Winter Wonderland confirms it is not going to be opening on Saturday amid purple climate alert
Dozens of events have been called off over the weekend due to safety concerns as Storm Darragh batters the UK, including the Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton.
The hotly anticipated clash and the last due to be played at Goodison Park, was postponed this morning due to the adverse weather conditions.
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park has also announced it will be closing its array of fairground rides, an ice kingdom and a Christmas market on Saturday because of ‘high winds’.
In a statement shared on X it said: ‘The safety of our visitors and staff are our top priority and we are sorry for any disappointment caused.’
It added that ticket holders can be refunded if they choose to not reschedule and for now they are expecting to reopen on Sunday.
This comes as Christmas events were cancelled, football games postponed and flights deemed at risk with 90mph winds on the way were also struck down by the incoming storm.
The storm swept in across the Atlantic Ocean this afternoon, bringing torrential downpours set to spark flooding and travel chaos in parts of the UK this weekend.
Britons in the worst-hit areas were told to ‘stay indoors’ and strap down Christmas decorations as the Met Office issued a rare ‘danger to life’ red warning for tomorrow
Waves crash onto the tracks as a train travels on the line at Saltcoats in Ayrshire today
The ‘significant disruption’ warning from 3am until 11am covers most of the coast of Wales including Cardiff and Swansea, as well as parts of Bristol and North Somerset.
Two football matches in the Championship – Cardiff City v Watford and Plymouth Argyle v Oxford United – were called off because of concerns for supporters’ safety.
Meteorologists said a period of ‘extremely strong winds’ will develop during the early hours of tomorrow morning as the low pressure system moves across the Irish Sea.
Yellow and amber warnings were also imposed for other parts of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, with those relating to the storm starting at 3pm today.
Flights could be delayed – with Ryanair warning of ‘potential disruptions to or from the UK’, and Jet2 saying: ‘We plan to operate our flights as close to schedule as possible, however there may be some disruption should the weather deteriorate.’
A car driver gets stuck in 4ft floods in Essex this morning after heavy overnight rain
Meanwhile a series of Christmas events this weekend were cancelled due to the forecast, including markets in towns such as Romsey, Hampshire; Taunton, Somerset; and Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire.
Elsewhere, the start of Bolton’s ‘Put Big Light On’ lights festival was postponed, and an ice sculpture trail in Darlington was also put back by a week.
Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire said it will not open tomorrow due to the storm for safety reasons.
In racing, Sandown’s Betfair Tingle Creek Chase meeting and the Boylesports Becher Chase fixture at Aintree tomorrow must pass precautionary inspections due to the threat of high winds.
Belfast City Council said on its website that the city’s Christmas market will stay closed tomorrow due to the weather warnings.
