Storm Dollar produced wind gusts of up to 80mph around London, making landings at Heathrow extremely difficult. (Video provided by BigJetTV, via Storyful)
PRESTON, England — A deadly storm has hit Ireland and the United Kingdom, with winds gusting in excess of 80 to 90 miles per hour.
A man has died after a tree fell across the A59 motorway in Preston on Saturday morning, hitting his van, Lancashire Police said. Wind gusts in the area were measured between 60 and 65 mph at times.
The cyclone, named Storm Dollar, brought even stronger winds to Ireland and the west coast of England and Wales.
Next
CARDIFF, WALES – DECEMBER 7: On December 7, 2024, a Porsche was seen damaged by a fallen tree on Cathedral Road in Cardiff, Wales. Storm Dara is the fourth named storm of the season, with wind gusts of up to 130 mph and heavy rain expected over the weekend. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
( )
Previous Next
CARDIFF, WALES – DECEMBER 7: On December 7, 2024, a Porsche was seen damaged by a fallen tree on Cathedral Road in Cardiff, Wales. Storm Dara is the fourth named storm of the season, with wind gusts of up to 130 mph and heavy rain expected over the weekend. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
( )
Previous Next
7 December 2024 Storm Dollar brings winds of nearly 90mph to western Wales and northwestern England, causing waves to crash against the breakwater and lighthouse in Porthcawl, south Wales. Strong winds and heavy rain have battered western England, causing widespread travel disruption. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP) (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP, Getty Images)
( )
Previous Next
Ballyclare, Northern Ireland – December 7: Workers cut down a fallen tree blocking the runway on the M1 to Belfast on December 7, 2024 in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland. Storm Dara is the fourth named storm of the season, with wind gusts of up to 130 mph and heavy rain expected over the weekend. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
( )
Previous Next
Porthcawl, Wales – December 7: Waves crash against the harbor wall in Porthcawl, Wales on December 7, 2024. Storm Dara is the fourth named storm of the season, with wind gusts of up to 130 mph and heavy rain expected over the weekend. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
( )
Previous Next
An arborist cuts down a tree blocking a road in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, on December 7, 2024, as Storm Dollar brings winds of nearly 90mph to west Wales and north-west England. The Met Office has issued an unusual emergency warning for parts of Wales and south-west England due to strong winds overnight into Saturday morning (3am to 11am GMT). Tens of thousands of people were left without power across the UK on Saturday morning after Storm Dollar battered the country with strong winds, causing disruption to pre-Christmas travel. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP) (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
( )
Previous Next
An arborist cuts down a tree blocking a road in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, on December 7, 2024, as Storm Dollar brings winds of nearly 90mph to west Wales and north-west England. The Met Office has issued an unusual emergency warning for parts of Wales and south-west England due to strong winds overnight into Saturday morning (3am to 11am GMT). Tens of thousands of people were left without power across the UK on Saturday morning after Storm Dollar battered the country with strong winds, causing disruption to pre-Christmas travel. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP) (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
( )
Previous Next
Damage caused by Storm Dollar following strong winds in the backyard of a house in the Lenadoon area of west Belfast. Millions were warned to stay indoors, thousands lost power and trains were canceled as the government’s “danger to life” warning brought on by Storm Dollar was issued. Photo date: Saturday, December 7, 2024 (Photo credit: PA/PA Images via Getty Images)
( )
Previous Next
A photo taken on December 7, 2024 shows fallen trees blocking a road in Birkenhead, near Liverpool, as Storm Dollar brings winds of nearly 90mph to west Wales and north-west England. is shown in the photo. The Met Office has issued an unusual emergency warning for parts of Wales and south-west England due to strong winds overnight into Saturday morning (3am to 11am GMT). Tens of thousands of people were left without power across the UK on Saturday morning after Storm Dollar battered the country with strong winds, causing disruption to pre-Christmas travel. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP) (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
( )
Previous Next
A pedestrian walks past a fallen tree blocking Greenbank Road in Liverpool on December 7, 2024, as Storm Dollar brings winds of nearly 90mph to west Wales and northwest England. The Met Office has issued an unusual emergency warning for parts of Wales and south-west England due to strong winds overnight into Saturday morning (3am to 11am GMT). Tens of thousands of people were left without power across the UK on Saturday morning after Storm Dollar battered the country with strong winds, causing disruption to pre-Christmas travel. (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP) (Photo by Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
( )
Previous
BLACKWOOD – DEC 06: In this photo illustration – December 6, 2024 in Blackwood, Wales, UK Residents in some parts of Wales receive a red weather warning as Storm Dollar approaches the UK I did. Storm Dara is the fourth named storm of the season, with wind gusts of up to 130 mph and heavy rain expected over the weekend. (Photo by Hugh Fairclough/Getty Images)
( )
Nearly 400,000 people in Ireland were without power on Saturday morning, but about 225,000 people had their power restored by the afternoon, according to ESB Networks. Widespread wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph were reported across much of the country. Wind gusts reached 110mph in Dublin along the northwest coast and 137mph in Mace Head.
“The impact is felt across the country, and so far there has been widespread damage to power infrastructure,” ESB officials said in a news release Saturday. “Based on our experience with past severe weather events, we expect recovery to take several days, with the hardest-hit areas likely to take longer.”
Ballyclare, Northern Ireland – December 7: An airport shuttle bus veers off the road during strong winds and crashes into a house in Templepatrick on December 7, 2024 in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland. was photographed. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
The gusts grew even stronger as Storm Dollar crossed the Irish Sea and reached the coast of Wales, where a rare ‘red’ weather warning was in place. The Met Office reported maximum wind gusts of 93mph at Capel Currig and 92mph at Aberdaron.
Strong winds roared through the center of England, with gusts reaching 40 to 50 miles per hour, and in some places approaching 60 miles per hour.
Pilots had some dizzying moments as they battled wind gusts of nearly 80mph as they tried to land at London’s Heathrow Airport.
A plane struggles to land at London’s Heathrow Airport during a storm.
(via BigJetTV, Storyful/FOX Weather)
Nearly 200,000 more people were without power in Wales and England, according to PowerOutage.com.
Pictures from across England showed strong gusts of wind hitting the country, knocking down numerous trees and blowing away fences.
Part of a fallen tree that hit a car on Greenbank Road in Liverpool. Millions were warned to stay indoors, thousands lost power and trains were canceled as the government’s “danger to life” warning brought on by Storm Dollar was issued. Photo date: Saturday, December 7, 2024 (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
The weather gradually improved from west to east over the weekend.
