What is a red weather warning? Rare Met Office term explained as Storm Darragh batters UK
The UK is being pummelled by the latest storm of the season, with Storm Darragh tearing off roofs, cancelling flights, and bringing a risk of floods.
One man has been confirmed dead after high speed winds knocked over a tree, which fell on his van in Lancashire.
With winds travelling as fast as 90mph, the Met Office took the rare step of issuing a ‘red weather warning’ due to the danger to life it brings.
Follow the latest updates on Storm Darragh over on our live blog
The warning was in place for most of Wales and parts of South West England, including Cardiff, Swansea, Anglesey, Bath, Bristol and Devon.
It has since been lifted now the worst of the wind has blown past, but what exactly is a ‘red weather warning’?
What does a red warning mean?
Last issued in January due to wind in northeast Scotland, a red weather warning is the highest possible alert sent out by the Met Office.
In a message sent to around three million people’s phones ahead of landfall, the Met Office warned: ‘A red warning for wind has been issued in your area.
‘Extremely strong winds associated with Storm Darragh are expected to cause significant disruption from 3.00am on Saturday 07 December 2024.
‘Strong winds can cause flying debris, falling trees and large waves around coastal areas, all of which can present a danger to life.
‘Stay indoors if you can. It is not safe to drive in these conditions.’
Red warnings are issued when there is a danger to life, along with the likelihood of substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and widespread damage to property and infrastructure.
When one is issued, it means ‘you should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities’.
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.’
Other parts of the country remain under facing amber and yellow weather warnings during the storm.
What is an amber weather warning?
The Met Office describes an amber warning as ‘an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, which could potentially disrupt your plans.
‘This means there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property. You should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property.
‘You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community and whether there is anything you need to do ahead of the severe weather to minimise the impact.
What is a yellow weather warning?
Yellow weather warnings are issued when the weather is likely to have a more low-level effect.
Many are issued when it is likely that the weather will cause some low-level impacts, including some disruption to travel, the Met Office says.
‘Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some that will be directly impacted so it is important to assess if you could be affected.’
As these are used for a range of weather scenarios, the advice is to ‘read the content of yellow warnings to determine which weather situation is being covered by the yellow warning’.
How often are red weather warnings issued?
While it’s the first red warning issued for rain for some time, there have been a number of red warnings given for other extreme weather events in recent years.
The last one was in January when winds battered the north east of Scotland.
A red warning was previously issued for the South-east and east of England, and south Wales in February 2022 in the wake of Storm Eunice, which brought with it winds of up to 122mph.
In 2021, Storm Arwen also led to a red weather warning for wind – covering a large section of the east coast from Aberdeen to Newcastle.
A red warning has also been issued for heat in July 2022, the first time the Met Office had issued such an alert for high temperatures.
That one, issued in July 2022, covered most of central and Southern England when the hottest part of the UK reached above 40°C for the first time ever.
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