The government has sent an urgent warning out to millions of Britons via their mobile phones tonight as Storm Darragh causes life-threatening weather conditions in the UK.
In an update this evening, a spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said the government would send out an alert at around 6.45pm today, following in the footsteps of the Met Office. The spokesperson said officials wanted to inform the public as “damaging winds and associated diruption” threaten Britons.
The spokesperson said: “The Met Office has issued a red warning for wind across parts of England and Wales from 3am until 11am on Saturday 7th December. In light of the damaging winds and associated disruption, the Cabinet Office will issue an Emergency Alert at 18.45pm on Friday December 6 to people in areas covered by the red warning in parts of Wales and the South West.”
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Met Office)
“The Emergency Alert system will send a message to every compatible mobile phone in the impacted areas, containing information about the red warning and guidance on how to stay safe into Saturday. This will be the largest ever use of the system outside a test scenario. Mobile phones will make a loud siren-like sound even if they are set on silent. The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.
“The UK Government has well rehearsed plans in place for severe winter weather and is working with teams from devolved governments, local authorities, the emergency services and other public bodies to coordinate the response to any disruption.” The government expects that roughly three million people will receive the message in England and Wales.
It is understood that people will have received the alert if they live in the following areas:
- Devon
- Bath
- North East Somerset
- City of Bristol
- North Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Somerset
- Isle of Anglesey
- Gwynedd
- Conwy
- Ceredigion
- Pembrokeshire
- Carmarthenshire
- Swansea
- Neath Port Talbot
- Bridgend
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Cardiff
- Monmouthshire
- Newport
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WXCharts)
The alerts went out before the Met Office anticipates that the severity of storm could impact phone signal in the worst affected parts of the country. Alongside a danger to life from flying debris and falling trees, the agency has issued a rare red warning stating the severe winds will cause power cuts that could affect mobile phone coverage.
The red warning – which has been issued alongside amber and yellow notices – activates from 3am on Saturday, and will remain active until 11am the same day. It covers most of the areas in England and Wales that fall under the government’s mobile alert, stretching across dozens of miles of coastline.
The red alert states: “A period of extremely strong winds will develop during the early hours of Saturday morning as Storm Darragh moves across the Irish Sea. Gusts of 90 mph or more are possible over coasts and hills of west and south Wales, as well as funnelling through the Bristol Channel with some very large waves on exposed beaches. The strongest winds will begin to ease from late morning, though it will remain very windy with Amber wind warnings still in force until the evening.”