Warning of Storm Darragh leads to cancellation of artisan and craft fair in Wigan

The fourth named storm of the season is expected to bring 80mph winds and heavy rain late on Friday and into Saturday.

It has led to organisers of Saturday’s event making an early decision to cancel.

A post on the Artisan Street Fayres - SPG Facebook page said: “The Artisan and Craft Fayre scheduled to take place in Wigan town centre on Saturday, December 7 has been cancelled due to a forecast of strong winds.

“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience, but with wind gusts expected to reach more than 50mph, and with the number of gazebos and stalls in attendance, it simply wouldn’t be safe for our stall holders, customers and staff.

“Two more Artisan & Craft Fayres are scheduled to take place in Wigan this month, on Saturday, December 14 and Saturday, December 21.”

No announcement has been made regarding the artisan Christmas markets due to be held on Sunday at Pennington Flash.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind and rain on Thursday across parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England, with the warnings extending to cover the North East and south of England on Friday.

An amber warning for “potentially damaging” winds is in place for the west coast of the UK, as well as in Northern Ireland, on Saturday from 3am until 9pm.

A yellow warning for wind remains in place for Sunday across England, parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

The Met Office warned that flying debris could cause injury or danger to life, while buildings may be damaged, such as tiles blown from roofs.

It said power cuts and large waves should be expected, and some roads and bridges may be closed, with falling trees posing an additional hazard.

The heaviest rainfall is expected to be focused in the northern and western parts of the warning area and some hill snow can be expected in areas above 200m elevation.

National Highways urged anyone planning to drive over the coming days to prepare in advance and take extra care on the roads.

The Environment Agency said it is carefully monitoring the progress of the storm.