Storm Debi - live: ‘Danger to life’ weather warnings extended to most of Ireland as 130kph winds set to hit UK

Multiple “danger to life” weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office as Storm Debi is set to hit the UK within hours, bringing heavy rain and severe gale-force winds.

Weather warnings have been issued for large parts of the country, as the fourth storm of the season sweeps across Ireland before reaching northern England and parts of Wales today, with the potential for 130kph gusts in some areas.

The Met Office warned of “danger to life” from flying debris, “fast flowing or deep floodwater”, and large waves in some areas.

An amber warning is in place for Northwest England until 4pm for heavy winds while a yellow warning covers areas including Bangor and St Davids in Wales and Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool in England.

Those in Aberdeenshire in Scotland face a yellow warning for rain later in the day, from 10am until 9pm.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland will have a yellow warning for both wind and rain from 3am to 2pm.

It comes after Storms Babet and Ciarán both wreaked havoc across the country over the past couple of months.

What weather warnings are in place today?

14:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

There are currently four yellow and one amber weather warning in place across the UK for Monday.

Amber - Wind: North West England, Yorkshire & Humber. In place until 4pm.

Yellow - Wind: East Midlands, North East England, North West England, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber. In place until 6pm.

Yellow - Rain: North East England, North West England, Yorkshire & Humber. In place until 6pm.

Yellow - Rain: Central, Tayside & Fife, Grampian. In place until 9pm.

Northern Ireland hit by high winds and heavy rain as Storm Debi blows in

13:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

High winds and rain from Storm Debi were causing road closures and disruption to public transport across Northern Ireland.

Police have urged people to stay at home, with a yellow weather warning in place until 2pm.

The Met Office said Storm Debi would track across the region, with gusts of around 65mph expected through Co Antrim and Co Down.

One of the highest gusts recorded on Monday morning was a wind speed of 74mph at Killowen in Co Down.

Northern Ireland hit by high winds and heavy rain as Storm Debi blows in

Storm Debi causes disruption on Scotland's railways

13:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Rail passengers are facing disruption as Storm Debi sweeps in, with speed restrictions being put in place and some services halted due to flooding.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of heavy rain for Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen, Angus and Moray which is in place from 10am until 9pm on Monday.

Network Rail Scotland said speed limits will have to be put in place as a result of the weather.

Trains are unable to run on the line between Dumfries and Sanquhar as a result of heavy flooding.

A restriction is already in place as a result of the weather on the West Highland line between Garelochhead and Crianlarich.

Parts of north-east Scotland likely to see heavy rain were also battered by Storm Babet last month, including Brechin in Angus, where hundreds of homes had to be evacuated after the river South Esk breached its banks.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Network Rail said: “Storm Debi isn’t expected to impact our network as much as recent storms but the high winds & heavy rain do mean that we need to limit train speeds on a few sections of track from 17:00 today until 08:00 tomorrow on several sections of track between Montrose & Portlethen and also between Huntly and Insch.

“Additionally, a speed restriction is already in place on the West Highland Line until 08:30 tomorrow between Garelochhead and Crianlarich.”

Ireland suffers more damage from latest storm

12:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Devastating winds and flooding unleashed on the Republic of Ireland on Monday in the latest storm to hit the island.

In pictures: Waves crash over Kent as Storm Debi hits UK

12:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Scheme to help people affected by flooded homes extended in Ireland

11:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An Irish Government scheme to support people living in homes affected by flooding has been extended to Co Galway following Storm Debi.

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said the humanitarian assistance scheme will also be extended to other affected areas as required.

Ms Humphreys said: “I’m very conscious of the serious disruption that severe weather and flooding is causing for individuals and families in County Galway, especially in Oranmore and parts of Galway City.”

Levels of payment under the scheme depend on the relative severity of damage experienced and household income.

The scheme does not cover risks that are already covered by insurance policies or cover business or commercial losses.

Watch: Storm Debi likely to bring dangerous winds as amber warning issued

11:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Storm Debi leaves trail of flooding and road debris across Ireland

11:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Storm Debi’s trail of destruction has brought coastal flooding and left around 100,000 homes and businesses without power across the island of Ireland.

Heavy winds and fallen trees have been reported across Ireland as local authorities moved to respond to the damage following the lifting of red and orange weather alerts.

There has been coastal flooding in Galway City and nearby Oranmore.

Downed trees and flooding were reported in Co Cavan while Louth County Council also recorded fallen power lines.

Fire crews in Meath responded to a number of incidents involving vehicles and fallen trees but reported no injuries.

The ESB said it would have to work late through the night to return power to customers.

New yellow weather warning issued

10:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A new yellow weather warning for rain has been issued across parts of northern England as heavy showers pour down.

The warning covers Durham, Northumberland, Blackpool, Cumbria, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

It is in place from 11am until 6pm on Monday.

Storm Debi brings gusts upto 77mph as it crosses Irish Sea

10:34 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Storm Debi has been whipping up winds upto 77mph as it crosses the Irish Sea this morning, the Met Office said.

It posted on X: “Recent gusts include 74 mph at Killowen in County Down, Northern Ireland and 77 mph at Aberdaron, Gwynedd, Wales.”

Mapped: When and where Storm Debi will hit as Amber warning issued

10:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An amber weather warning has been issued for parts of north-west England as Storm Debi hits the UK, bringing heavy rain and severe gale-force winds.

The alert is active from 10am until 4pm on Monday and covers coastal areas north of Liverpool up to Whitehaven.

The Met Office has warned Brits living in those areas should be wary of solid and disruptive winds with the possibility of flying debris.

Mapped: When and where Storm Debi will hit as Amber warning issued

Huge swathes of Galway left underwater as Storm Debi strikes last night

09:01 , Barney Davis

At least six people were rescued in Galway as Storm Debi made landfall causing significant damage to Ireland.

Galway is currently under a Status Orange wind warning until 10am this morning.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Galway County Council chief fire officer Gerry O’Malley said there is “considerable damage” around the city and county.

Storm Debi knocks out power for 100,000 people

08:49 , Barney Davis

100,000 people were left without power supply on Monday morning as Storm Debi batters Ireland.

Brian Tapley, of ESB Networks, said crews expect to be working “late into the night” to restore power.

He said the worst affected areas are Tuam, Longford, the Midlands, Ashbourne and Navan.

He told RTE radio: “As soon as it is safe to do so, we will be deploying our crews.

“Obviously, the storm is still impacting different parts of the country so we’ll be slow to send out crews until it is safe to do so, but any emergency calls are being attended to.

A gust of 115kph was recorded at a Met Eireann weather station in Athenry, Co Galway, on Monday morning.

Storm Debi branded ‘Most intense storm so far’ - Irish official

08:37 , Barney Davis

The Irish national director for fire and emergency management has said Storm Debi is “probably the most intense storm” of the season so far.

Keith Leonard said: “It was probably the high winds of that leading edge of the storm as it came across the country that was the most hazardous piece. So probably the most intense storm we’ve had so far in the season.”

He said there is a “general trend” of coastal flooding, for example in Galway City and Oranmore.

He told RTE radio: “But, thankfully, not too much structural damage being reported at the moment.”

In pictures: Storm Babet wreaked havoc across country last month

08:30 , Tara Cobham

Scale of the damage will be clearer in daylight, says minister

08:22 , Holly Evans

Junior minister Patrick O’Donovan has said the scale of the damage in Ireland caused by Storm Debi will be clearer when it is brighter.

Mr O’Donovan, who has responsibility for the Office of Public Works, said the advice is to drive with extreme caution in areas where a weather warning was or is in place.

He told RTE Radio: “The local authority crews will (have only started) going out in the last while when the red warning was lifted in some counties. Once first light is achieved, they’ll be able to see the scale of the damage.

“We won’t be able to ascertain the full damage until later on in the morning.”

He said the national emergency co-ordination group was due to meet at 11am.

Tens of thousands of homes without electricity

08:13 , Holly Evans

Power outages have been reported across Ireland as tens of thousands of homes are without electricity after Storm Debi battered the island overnight.

Spot flooding has been reported in areas of the west coast, including Salthill in Galway.

Trees are down in multiple locations, with drivers facing difficult conditions.

In pictures: Storm Ciaran battered UK earlier this month

08:00 , Tara Cobham

Storm Debi 'developed rapidly overnight,' says Met Office

07:30 , Stuti Mishra

The Met Office says Storm Debi, the fourth named storm of the season, "developed rapidly overnight" and is now set to unleash heavy winds on the UK.

The storm has developed, in part, because of a very strong jet stream crossing the Atlantic, the forecaster says.

The core of the jet stream is currently located to the south of the UK.

This strong jet stream is responsible for the very unsettled period of weather we are currently experiencing. Further areas of low pressure are forecast to develop and affect the UK during the coming week.

“Storm Debi has developed rapidly overnight and will bring impacts across parts of the UK today," Matthew Lehnert, a Chief Meteorologist with the Met Office, says.

"Because of the particular risk of impacts to parts of County Armagh and County Down this morning and parts of northwest England through much of the day we have issued two amber wind warnings.”

Within the warning areas the strongest winds are expected to reach 75mph, or even 80mph, in exposed coastal locations today, while inland areas are expected to see gusts of 60-65mph.

Two amber wind warnings for southeast Northern Ireland and northwest England are embedded within broader yellow warnings already in force across the whole of Northern Ireland, northern England and parts of Wales.

Storm Debi causes power outages around Galway

07:00 , Stuti Mishra

Videos show heavy rain and flooding in Ireland

06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Heavy rain and winds brought by Storm Debi have hit Ireland this morning. Residents have posted videos showing roads blustery showers leaving roads water logged.

Monday weather forecast

06:00 , Stuti Mishra

Wet and windy weather associated with Storm Debi is set to move northeastwards across the UK today, the Met Office says.

"Potentially damaging wind gusts" will be affecting Northern Ireland, northern England and the north and west of Wales.

Blustery showers will arrive from the southwest, the forecaster says.

Rain will turn showery in the north and northeast overnight, as winds ease.

Elsewhere there will be "a mix of clear spells and showers, some heavy, thundery and rather blustery."

All weather warnings in place in UK today

05:23 , Stuti Mishra

A yellow weather warning has come into force in Northern Ireland as Storm Debi hits the UK, bringing heavy rain and severe gale-force winds.

Weather warnings have been issued for large parts of the UK, as the storm is forecast to sweep across Ireland before reaching northern England and parts of Wales on Monday, with the potential for 130kph gusts in some areas, according to the Met Office.

An amber warning is in place for Northwest England until 4pm for heavy winds between 10am to 4pm today and will cover cities like Preston, Lancaster, Whitehaven among others.

A yellow warning for wind, the lowest level of alert, will be in place from 4am until 6pm for areas including Bangor and St Davids in Wales and Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool in England, bringing a potential danger to life from flying debris.

A section of Northern Ireland including Newry will have an amber warning for wind, the second-highest level, from 6am to midday, and the rest of Northern Ireland will be covered by a yellow warning for wind and rain from 3am to 2pm.

Aberdeenshire in Scotland will have a yellow warning for rain from 10am until 9pm.

Parts of north-east Scotland likely to see heavy rain were also battered by Storm Babet last month, including Brechin in Angus, where hundreds of homes had to be evacuated after the river South Esk breached its banks.

Amber weather warning issued for Northwest England

04:50 , Stuti Mishra

Met Office has issued an amber weather warning as Storm Debi is set to bring strong and disruptive winds to the northwestern parts of England.

The warning will be in place between 10am to 4pm today and will cover cities like Preston, Lancaster, Whitehaven among others.

The forecaster has warned of some damage to buildings, transport disruptions, power cuts and injuries and danger to life from large waves.

Severe weather warnings extended to most of Ireland

04:30 , Stuti Mishra

The Irish meteorological agency has extended the area of the country which will fall under its highest level of wind warning ahead of Storm Debi, which forecasters warned carries a “potential danger to life”.

Schools in parts of Ireland have been asked to delay opening, as the country prepares for winds of up to 130 kilometres per hour (80mph).

Weather warnings for the entire island were due to come into effect overnight due to the developing storm.

While a yellow warning applies to every county in Ireland from midnight until 3pm on Monday, the majority of people are also living in areas where a red warning applies due to the risk of “severe and damaging gusts” from Sunday night.

Read more:

‘Danger to life’ weather warning for Storm Debi extended to most of Ireland

Storm Debi is ‘severe weather event’, says Irish head forecaster

04:00 , Tara Cobham

The head forecaster at Irish meteorological agency Met Eireann has said Storm Debi is a “severe weather event” which will make its first impact in the south west of the country.

Speaking after a meeting of Ireland’s National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG), Eoin Sherlock said the storm will then track north east.

He said: “We can expect some severe mean winds from 3am to 5am [on Monday] and also gusts. Gusts are probably going to be the main issue for Storm Debi later this evening and over tonight.”

He said those living in the areas affected by a red wind warning can expect winds of up to 130 kilometres per hour (80 miles per hour).

“We can expect some disruption with travel, some infrastructural issues such as power cables coming down.”

Mr Sherlock said it will affect people in commuter counties as they get ready to go to work.

Ireland’s Fire and Emergency chief warns of lengthy delays

03:00 , Tara Cobham

Ireland’s National Director for Fire and Emergency Management Keith Leonard said people should expect lengthy delays across public transport and delays at ports and airports.

He added: “Employers are asked to have some flexibility in relation to employees who have to travel to work tomorrow and if working from home is an option, that will be the preferred option for people tomorrow in the counties affected.”

Mr Leonard said road users should be aware of the “very hazardous and difficult conditions” on Monday.

He said there will be a substantial number of downed trees and other debris.

“A very important message in relation to keeping your phone charged. There’s going to be extensive electricity outages tomorrow, and your mobile phone is your link to the emergency services.”

‘Dangerous’ Storm Debi forces schools to delay opening in Ireland

02:00 , Tara Cobham

Ireland’s National Director for Fire and Emergency Management has said Storm Debi is a “serious winter storm with some dangerous features” as he explained that schools have been asked to delay opening in parts of the country.

Speaking after a meeting of Ireland’s National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG), Keith Leonard said local authorities and response agencies have been preparing for the storm over the weekend.

He advised people to stay away from coastal areas as conditions will be “extremely hazardous”.

Mr Leonard also explained: “On the balance of risk and to ensure public safety, all schools and pre-schools are asked to remain closed until 10 o’clock tomorrow morning in the orange and the red areas.”

And he warned: “People are advised to keep track of the Met Eireann weather forecast because those counties in red, orange could change at short notice.”

Severe weather warnings for Storm Debi extended to most of Ireland

01:00 , Tara Cobham

The Irish meteorological agency has extended the area of the country which will fall under its highest level of wind warning ahead of Storm Debi, which forecasters warned carries a “potential danger to life”.

Weather warnings for the entire island were due to come into effect overnight as the country prepares for winds of up to 80mph.

While a yellow warning applies to every county in Ireland from midnight until 3pm on Monday, the majority of people are also living in areas where a red warning applies due to the risk of “severe and damaging gusts” from Sunday night.

A status red wind warning will apply to Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, east Galway, and south Roscommon between 2am and 5am. As the storm tracks north east over the country, a separate status red warning will come into effect for Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Louth, Meath, Wicklow, Offaly, and Westmeath between 5am and 8am.

A status orange wind warning additionally applies to these counties as well as Longford, Cavan, Monaghan, Kilkenny, and Carlow from 2am until 10am. A separate orange wind warning has been announced for between 1am and 4am for Cork.

Met Eireann says it will be “very windy or stormy” due to Storm Debi across the country, with heavy rain and a chance of embedded thunderstorms and hail. It warned there is a possibility of localised flooding, hazardous driving conditions and fallen trees.

Weather warning and ‘danger to life’ flood alert issued

00:00 , Tara Cobham

Yellow weather warnings have been issued as heavy downpours and gale-force winds are set to batter parts of the UK.

Storm Debi, the fourth storm of the season, is expected to see gales up to 80mph along coastal areas as it hits northern England and the whole of Ireland on Monday.

The Met Office said a “danger to life is possible” due to “fast flowing or deep floodwater” as the storm unleashes its force on Northern Ireland.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain reports:

Storm Debi: Yellow weather warnings issued as heavy rain and wind to batter UK

Met Office warns winds of up to 80mph could batter UK

Sunday 12 November 2023 23:00 , Tara Cobham

The Met Office has warned winds of up to 80mph could soon batter the UK.

Simon Partridge, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: “For parts of north-west Wales and England, there is a possibility of 70 to 80mph winds.

“It will be a wet and blustery day for all.”

Jason Kelly, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, added: “The strongest winds are expected to affect parts of the Republic of Ireland early on Monday, possibly coinciding with the morning commute, before then affecting parts of north Wales and northern England into the afternoon.

“Whilst the very strongest winds will have eased somewhat before reaching the UK, we are still expecting some significant impacts and a wind warning has been issued.

“Additionally, Debi will bring a period of heavy rain to Northern Ireland for which a combined wind and rain warning has been issued.”

Storm Debi will hit UK within hours

Sunday 12 November 2023 21:48 , Tara Cobham

Storm Debi will hit the UK within hours, bringing heavy rain and severe gale-force winds.

Weather warnings have been issued for large parts of the UK, as the storm is forecast to sweep across Ireland before reaching northern England and parts of Wales on Monday, with the potential for 80mph gusts in some areas, according to the Met Office.

A yellow warning for wind, the lowest level of alert, will be in place from 4am until 6pm for areas including Bangor and St Davids in Wales and Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool in England, bringing a potential danger to life from flying debris.

Aberdeenshire in Scotland will have a yellow warning for rain later in the day, from 10am until 9pm, and Northern Ireland will have a yellow warning for wind and rain from 3am to 2pm.

Parts of north-east Scotland likely to see heavy rain were also battered by Storm Babet last month, including Brechin in Angus, where hundreds of homes had to be evacuated after the river South Esk breached its banks.

Jonathan Vautrey, meteorologist for the Met Office, urged people to “take care before you travel” as morning rush hour is expected to be affected.

He said: “There will be some heavy rainfall, potential for flying debris, potential for disruption to travel and infrastructure in places.”