States advises islanders ‘to be careful’ as Darragh hits
The States has held back from issuing official advice for islanders to stay indoors on Saturday as the Bailiwick braces itself for the full impact of Storm Darragh.
Winds gusting up to 75mph are expected tomorrow afternoon, and the Met Office has issued a red wind warning, its highest category alert, for the whole of the Channel Islands.
A States spokesman said that while the forecast wind speeds were high, they were not expected to be as strong as Storm Ciaran last November, when winds peaked at storm force 11, with 95mph gusts.
‘With that said, it is always difficult to be certain exactly where the worst of a storm will hit, and so we would strongly encourage islanders to be careful tomorrow,’ he said. ‘Based on information we currently have, we are not issuing a warning for people to stay indoors, however islanders should consider cancelling any activities which may put them at risk.’
He added that although high tides were under 8m, they were still expecting some degree of flooding on the west coast.
‘Anything on the coast, particularly on the west coast, could be very dangerous and people should avoid these areas. Depending on how badly the winds materialise, outdoor activities in general may be unwise.’
Off-island transport is expected to be highly disrupted.
Aurigny took the step of cancelling Saturday’s Alderney flights on Friday morning, and were offering travellers to other parts of the UK a free transfer to an alternative flight within seven days of the original departure.
‘Our team is closely monitoring Storm Darragh and its potential impact on flights this weekend,’ a spokeswoman said.
‘While we plan to operate all flights as scheduled where it is safe to do so, there is a possibility of disruption. If customers choose to travel as planned but flights are later cancelled due to the weather, they will be eligible for a full refund.’
Condor had cancelled most of its weekend sailings on Thursday, with further disruption still expected at the start of next week. The worst of the winds from Storm Darragh are not predicted to have passed until Sunday evening at the earliest.
Sailings to Sark are ‘under review’ but expected to be cancelled, meanwhile Herm laid on extra ferries today in an effort to attract islanders to its Christmas shop before the weather hit.
Even the hardy Channel Cheftain, which brings the national papers from Jersey, cancelled its sailing for Saturday morning.
