Storm Darragh

[Frozensnowflake]

winds of 80mph are predicted to hit parts of Ireland and the UK over Friday and Saturday. I’m north wales and we’re looking at winds of around 72mph on Saturday according to the met office. Lots of local events have been cancelled. Anyone else potentially affected by the storm?

I have never driven in 70mph winds but I’m guessing it’s very much not advisable?

My DD lives in Pontypridd and works in Cardiff. In last storm she couldn’t get to work due to flooding.

We’re in the red warning area. Don’t think we ever have been before so I am a bit nervous.

wind is my least favourite weather

we’re due at a relatives’s big birthday meal tomorrow night, and need to drive along some rural lanes to get there so I hope it blows through by the afternoon as has been forecast.

Tomorrow's ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan has been cancelled so we're going on an afternoon one today. I am NOT looking forward to it. My oblivious mother is now telling stories of sinking boats and ferries bobbing about in high winds 🤢

Another Wild West Wales here. I have changed my plans, hopefully for the better and driving up to the West Midlands tonight instead of tomorrow morning. Still looks like I will have heavy rain and strong winds all along that corridor from Pembrokeshire to Newport then I'm hoping it might be less bad for the rest of the journey. Not keen on driving in the dark now either as I'm older and find it too glary.

I'm in ireland. East coast, but my one county has just turned red for 1am tomorrow (yellow from 3pm, orange from 10pm). I live in a bungalow between a river and the irish sea. Not too thrilled about this. Power bank charging. Will make sure to cook dinner early as electric only. Have candles and battery candles. Hoping it's not as bad as they say. Tis pissing down at the min.

@augustinmeaulnes the change of plans sounds like a good idea.

Re the glare from car lights I struggle with this too and have recently started using glasses with yellow lenses and it makes all the difference. If you have some of the bigger shops near you, you may be able to pick up a pair before you leave.

@Vegemiteandhoneyontoast

Thank you for the tip, I haven't heard of using yellow glasses. I shall look into that, won't be able to get any near me for today's trip, no shops! But will look over the weekend as I am determined I will go in some shops tomorrow or Sunday!

Me too. Feeling really anxious now. I know we have done everything we can and everything is charged and we have spares of everything. We are as prepared for it as we can be and fully expect the power to go. It will be scary being in the dark with the wind howling and rain battering down. I know I won't be able to sleep. I have even googled some airbnb's and hotels that accept dogs nearby incase something bad happens to our home and we get damage and have to move out for a while. It just made me feel like I am doing something useful.

Its horrible!!!

Another one in West Wales here (15mins from the coast), detached house, on a hill and surrounded by trees.. the wind direction means the 85 mph gusts are going to be whipping across the field and will hit the corner of my roof.

I'm extremely nervous!! .. but i've cancelled work tomorrow (having missed being squished by a tree by a matter of moments in the past) we've spent the morning moving things around outside, phones are on charge, candles and torches ready etc, theres not much more i can do, except get ready for a very long stressful night.

Good luck @lostinwales! , i know we live in the same area..

Same here. West Wales too. Spent the morning outside moving things and weighing things down. Our phones are fully charged and we have the power banks and torches charged and have candles at the ready and logs in for the wood burner. Fully expecting to lose power so are as prepared for that as we can be.

It is going to be a very horrible, stressful night and I know I won't sleep a wink!! I am even considering sleeping downstairs as I think it will be marginally quieter than being upstairs. But I am not looking forward to it at all. Its going to be brutal.
Stay safe x

Ah yes @GinaDreamsofRunningAway , i've brought logs in too, theres no way i'll be going into the barn tomorrow!

I think sleeping downstairs will be happening here too with a loud battery powered radio! theres no way i want to listen to my roof banging and rattling all night, this i already know from Amber warnings..

Good luck x

Didn't realise there were so many of us on here from west Wales! I have a burner, but it's currently out of action due to building work, plus our generator's also broken & waiting for new parts. Such bad timing :( At least we've got a gas stove, plus charging everything up.

I've spent this morning patching up all the holes in my polytunnel skins and will be keeping all my fingers and toes crossed that they don't get trashed. Don't live on site so I can't go out and cut the plastic if any of them do go, which means we'd likely lose the hoops too. Having said that being tucked up indoors and just going to see what the damage is afterwards sounds like much the safest option anyway.

@Sadik that's a reminder to go and find some rocks to secure the polytunnel door. The wind looks likes it is going to swing round we are fairly protected from south and south west but looks like it will be west and north west at its worst.

Power Cuts Map - SP Energy Networks
Thought this might be helpful for those in N Wales.

Good to know theres so many West Wales MNers, and we're all in the same boat!

I'm in West Wales too, right on the coast.

We are a bit further inland but right in the firing line. Hope you escape it relatively unscathed.

I didn't realise now many on MN were in the same kind of area.

The lovely MN West Wales massive! Wondering if my DS3's girlfriend's mum is one of you, she's cool enough

Nice to see you @Jellykat , I don't often wear this NN anymore but it seemed appropriate to dust it off for this weekend.

We are halfway up a hill facing straight into the wind, that should be interesting. Such a shame we can't do a little secret map just for us so we know where everyone is. I'm on one of the river estuaries on the coast, about a mile from the sea. Can see it from here and quite a lot of the surrounding area so that will be fun when it's daylight tomorrow.

We’re on one of the main rivers. Sheltered from the SW but if it swings round to the NW we’ll be in line. Last time we had a big storm we had the neighbours ridge tiles in our garden, so I’ll be avoiding that side tomorrow.

Ahaa @lostinwales thats why i havent seen you around as much (well i probs have, but wouldnt know)

I'm in the middle of nowhere in North Pembrokeshire..

Hey all, NW Wales here, joining the Welsh massive here!

The wind has picked up a lot in the last hour.

DH has to drive home in the morning dreading him driving the A55 as it's so coastal!

All hatches battened here, stay safe ladies!

Following because I can't seem to bookmark.

We are a village on a river estuary in north north pembs. So north pembs that I can nearly touch Ceredigion . Which very much gives my location in an 'if you know you know' sense! Not really protected from the wind in any direction due to the location of our house on a hill. Should be fun!

No I think I'm pretty 'outed' in this NN Jelly so I change all the time (also my horrible ex-h knows it so I'd rather he didn't read my thoughts on here). I miss the days when we 'knew' a lot of the names though even if I'm contributing to the change.

Has OYBBK gone?

I'm right on the Menai strait( currently renting while renovating our own house) ....it was extremely stormy yesterday afternoon and waves very choppy ( briefly) and garden furniture on balcony was shifting about, so have hopefully jammed it safely in corner of decking!
thankfully the roof of our cottage has just been completed and new windows installed although there's a tiny bit of scaffold remaining and quite a lot of wood and rubbish lying around on site ( builder is not the tidiest unfortunately!)...not looking forward to tonight

I know where you mean @lostinwales

Also expected OYBBK to do her weather guru post with this storm.. maybe namechanged? hope shes ok and not left! Shes rather essential in Winter!