Somerset has been left reeling from the effects of Storm Darragh, the second major storm to hit the county in just two weeks. Highways teams and power companies have been working tirelessly to address the widespread damage caused by winds of up to 90mph.

The storm brought a rare Met Office Red Warning, signifying potential danger to life. Wind speeds peaked at 89mph in Exmoor and 72mph in Yeovil, leading to hundreds of trees and more than 20 power cables being downed across the county.

Teams from Somerset Council's contractor Kier tackled nearly 700 road incidents over the weekend, removing over 400 fallen trees.

Major disruptions across the county

Key routes were among those affected, with crews working for hours to reopen the A367 near Stratton-on-the-Fosse on Saturday. Other major roads, including the A37 in Shepton Mallet and the A357 in Templecombe, faced partial or complete closures due to downed trees and power lines.

By Saturday afternoon, more than 13,000 Somerset households were without power. Somerset Council's Adult Social Care team has been working with power companies to assist vulnerable residents. Recovery efforts have continued round the clock.

Damage to property and coastal areas

In Bridgwater, debris blocked Albert Street after part of the roof at Westfield Close flats was torn off. Homes in Sedgemoor has been supporting affected residents. In Chard, Boden Street was closed due to damage to The Mill, a Somerset Council-owned building.

Coastal areas also faced severe conditions, with large waves battering the shoreline and sand drifting onto Warren Road in Minehead. Residents were advised to avoid seafront areas during the height of the storm.

Praise for crews and community spirit

Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council's lead member for transport and waste, praised the efforts of crews working under extreme conditions: "We're incredibly grateful for the efforts of our contractor Kier in working round the clock to keep the county moving. These were really challenging conditions, and a Red Weather Warning is the most extreme alert.

"We know council and partner agency teams have been working hard to support our more vulnerable residents who have been without power or who have suffered damage to their homes. Thankfully, many appear to have heeded the warnings and stayed at home during the height of the storm. We also saw communities coming together to help the most vulnerable and affected."

Councillor Wilkins urged caution as work continues to clear smaller roads: "Please travel carefully, especially after dark, and bear with us as the service works extremely hard to get these cleared."

Timeline of Glastonbury power outages

Storm Darragh caused significant power outages across Somerset, with the following timeline highlighting the challenges faced by the National Grid and residents in Glastonbury

• Saturday, 7 December, 12:09pm: A fault on the high-voltage network was reported, leaving 330 properties without power.
• Saturday, 7 December, 7:12pm: Crews restored power to 73 properties, but 257 remained off supply.
• Sunday, 8 December, 11:01am: Restoration estimates indicated some properties would be without power until 8pm Monday, 9 December.
• Monday, 9 December, 3:06am: 323 properties were restored, leaving only seven without power.
• Monday, 9 December, 10:02am: Updated restoration estimates extended to 12pm Tuesday, 10 December.
• Tuesday, 10 December, 8am: As of this morning, 1.8 million homes and businesses nationally have had power restored, with 22,156 properties still off supply.

'Biggest storm in decades'

National Grid Field Operations Director Roisin Quinn described Storm Darragh as the most significant storm to hit the region in decades. "Our engineers, control rooms, contact centre and support teams have been working around the clock to maintain power across the network," she said.

Despite challenges, the National Grid assured residents that efforts are ongoing: "I want to thank customers for their patience and assure you all that we are doing everything we can to get power restored across the region as soon as possible."

Residents experiencing new power cuts are encouraged to report them online or by calling 105. Further updates are expected throughout the day as crews continue to work on restoring services to affected areas.