In the face of a Yellow warning for wind which could see gusts of up to 70 mph along the Dorset Coast, the Swanage Christmas Market and the switch-on of the Swanage Pier lights have both been postponed on safety grounds.
The Met Office has issued a Yellow warning for wind across the South West from 3 pm on Friday 6th through to 6 am on Sunday 8th December 2024 with the peak of the gales on Saturday morning.
Swanage and Purbeck Rotary haven’t had much luck with the weather in 2024 as its summer fete also had to face wet and windy conditions
“Conditions make it unsafe”
The Lighting Up Lives event and the arrival of Santa on the lifeboat was to have taken place on Swanage Pier in the evening on Friday 6th December 2024 but has now been postponed until Friday 13th December 2024 when it’s hoped the organisers will be luckier with the weather.
The annual Swanage Christmas Market which takes place along Station Road and Institute Road was to be on Saturday 7th December 2024 but has now been pushed on by a week and will now be held on Saturday 14th December 2024.
Chris Le Fevre from Swanage and Purbeck Rotary said:
“With the deteriorating weather forecast for Saturday, it is clear that the likely conditions make it unsafe to hold the street market.
“We are most grateful to Dorset Council who has obtained permission for us to postpone the market and hold it a week later on Saturday 14th December.
“We appreciate that this postponement may not be convenient for everyone who wants to attend.
“We are, however, aware of all the effort stallholders, volunteers and others have made to prepare and given the importance of the event to many in Swanage, we think this solution is the most appropriate in the circumstances.”
Swanage Christmas Market has been postponed to prevent gazebos turning into sails!
Period of strong winds and rain
The Met Office says that Storm Darragh is likely to cross Ireland late Friday, then parts of England and Wales on Saturday, clearing to the east of England on Saturday night or early Sunday.
Darragh is expected to bring a period of strong winds and rain to much of the warning area.
Winds will initially be from a southerly direction, but the strongest winds are likely as the low clears away when northerly or northwesterly winds may quite widely gust to around 40 to 50 mph inland but locally could gust in excess of 60 mph.
Around coasts, winds may gust to between 60 to 70 mph, perhaps locally nearer 80 mph.
The lighting up Swanage Pier for Christmas will be postponed for a week
“Potential to cause a lot of damage in our area”
With the severe weather warning in place over the weekend, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is asking drivers to be extra vigilant and understand the dangers posed by surface water on the roads.
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service group manager Jim Weston said:
“While this stormy weather continues, please drive to the conditions and be particularly cautious at fords, where water levels can rise a lot in a short space of time.
“Storm Darragh has the potential to cause a lot of damage in our area, so we urge residents to make their homes safe and follow our advice.”
The service is also reminding people of the risks along the coast, with rockfalls more likely to happen during prolonged periods of rain. So if visiting the coast, it’s advised to take notice of signs and stay away from the edge and base of cliffs.
