Second man dies during Storm Darragh carnage after driver in his 40s killed when tree fell on his van in 93mph winds
Brits have been urged to stay at home in a rare red warning - with flights and trains axed
STORM Darragh has claimed its second victim after another man was killed by a falling tree.
Two people have now died amid chaos across the UK on Saturday, with emergency alerts issued and 259,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales without power.
A man was killed while driving his Citroen vehicle in Preston, Lancashire, at about 9am yesterday when fierce gales cause a tree to fall on his van.
He was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
A second man in Birmingham died on Saturday afternoon while travelling along Silver Birch Road, in Erdington.
Strong gusts uprooted a tree from its roots, which then fell on his car.
Cops and fire crews and police remain at the cordoned off scene last night.
Millions of Brits braced for disruption on Saturday after an emergency alert came into effect at 1am for people covered by the red wind warning in parts of Wales and the south west England.
It was the largest use of the warning system yet, with the alert urging residents to avoid driving and to “stay indoors if you can”.
Wind gusts of up to 92mph have been recorded overnight in Capel Curig in North Wales and Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula.
Gusts of between 72-78mph were recorded along the coasts of Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Energy Networks Association has said 177,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales are now without power.
National Grid has said more than 55,000 customers have no power supply across the South West, South Wales and the West Midlands.
Saturday’s Merseyside Derby between Liverpool and Everton was postponed because of the storm, the clubs said.
Blackpool FC also confirmed its match against Rotherham United was postponed due to weather.
In North Wales, gales of up to 93mph were recorded overnight in Capel Curig, with 92mph in Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula and winds in other areas reaching 80mph.
The storm saw 150-year-old units on Llandudno Pier ripped away.
Dyfed-Powys Police also said it had experienced high volumes of calls about fallen trees and poor driving conditions.
In Porthcawl, shocking footage revealed fierce gusts had ripped an entire roof off a flat in Rest Bay.
Elsewhere, Meath County Council Fire & Rescue Service in Dublin confirmed they’ve been dealing with multiple call-outs and gusts of over 90mph have been recorded.
Dublin airport also told passengers several number of flights bound for other airports have been diverted.
It comes as an amber warning for wind remains in place until 9pm for much of the west coast of England, Wales, and Scotland.
It’s also in place for the entirety of Northern Ireland.
The Met Office warns there could be potential damage to buildings and homes in these areas, with either roofs blown off or power lines brought down.
It also warned of further travel disruption and a “danger to life” from flying debris and falling trees.
The weather agency had advised those living in the worst affected areas to secure any lose items outside their home.
It also advised those travelling to plan in advance, check bus and train timetables, and to amend their plans if necessary.
Less severe are also in place across much of the UK.
Disruption has been widespread across the UK, with Cardiff City’s home Championship fixture against Watford on Saturday being postponed.
A League Two match between Newport County and Carlisle United also suffered the same fate.
Train services were also severely disrupted across the UK, with Great Western Railway cancelling all services between Carmarthen and Bristol.
CrossCountry has said it is running no services from Edinburgh to either Glasgow Central or Aberdeen.
It has also cancelled all services between Gloucester and Cardiff Central, and between Southampton Central and Bournemouth.
Transport for West Midlands announced “a number of incidents” are now affecting travel this evening and recommended “essential” journeys only.
A spokesperson said: “This is having a major impact on the rail, tram, and bus networks with many services affected by short notice diversion or cancellation.
“TfWM are advising passengers not to travel unless it is essential and to check for details before you travel if it is essential.
“Some bus services in the Solihull area have ceased to operate for the remainder of Saturday 7th December.”
Meanwhile National Rail have warned: “Storm Darragh and severe weather are expected to bring significant disruption with heavy rain and wind across parts Great Britain.
“Please check your journey in full before travelling.”
Those planning to travel with Thameslink were issued a notice which read: “Do not travel on Thameslink routes between London St Pancras International and Luton until further notice.”
Check the latest updates on rail disruption on .
