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Events cancelled in NI ahead of Storm Darragh

PA Large white waves crash against the road during a storm. There are a number of visible houses. In the background there are hills covered in snow.PA
Strong winds in Carnlough during a previous storm

A number of festive outdoor events have already been affected by the weather warnings in Northern Ireland.

Storm Darragh is set to potentially bring travel disruption from Friday as Northern Ireland braces itself for several days of strong winds.

An amber weather warning - the second highest level of alert - is in force from 03:00 GMT on Saturday until 21:00.

A yellow warning for strong wind is in place from 15:00 on Friday until 06:00 on Sunday.

What events are affected?

Getty Images Rear view of young mother carrying her daughter in arms, looking at illuminated Christmas tree in Christmas market.Getty Images
A number of Christmas fairs and events have either been cancelled or rescheduled

The Enchanted Winter Gardens at Antrim Castle has been cancelled on Friday and Saturday. All tickets and pre-bought tokens for Friday and Saturday will be automatically refunded, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough has said.

Ards and North Down Borough Council cancelled their Christmas weekend at Cockle Row Cottages in Groomsport.

The Christmas fair in Saintfield which was due to take place on Friday evening has also been cancelled.

Lisburn and Castlereagh Council said a number of events in its Christmas programme will be delayed due to the weather, including the Dundonald Christmas Market, and Sensory Night.

The Castle Gardens light trail closed on Thursday at 14:00.

The Lisburn Lights Express will now start on Friday.

Newry Mourne and Down District Council has rescheduled the Christmas crafts activities which was due to take place in Castlewellan Forest Park on Saturday.

National Trust Mid Ulster has cancelled their Twilight Market on Friday and day one of their Christmas Fair on Saturday, which were due to take place in the Argory in Dungannon.

What council facilities will close?

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council have closed a number of outdoor recreation sites for the duration of the amber weather warning and advised he public not to walk along cliff paths, harbour piers, forest or woodland park areas during this period.

Derry City and Strabane District Council said council-owned public parks, play parks will be closed on Saturday and that recycling centres will be affected.

They also advise that the weather may have an impact on street cleaning and waste services.

All scheduled sports activities at outdoor facilities will not go ahead on Saturday and the council said they are liaising with clubs and user groups accordingly.

Mid Ulster District Council closed its outdoor recreational sites on Thursday due to the weather warning, including Derrynoid Forest and Riverside Walk, Maghera Walled Garden Walk, Hill of the O’Neill and Pomeroy Forest.

All sites will reopen following safety inspections that will take place after the weather warning has expired.

You can get a full list here.

Planned sleep-out cancelled

The Welcome Organisation in Belfast has been forced to cancel a planned sleep-out during Homelessness Awareness Week on Friday night because of the storm.

Some support workers who had planned to take part in the event will now work to ensure those affected by homelessness have access to shelter.

Kieran Hughes, from the organisation, told BBC News NI that they hope to reschedule the event in the new year.

"We always keep a close eye on the forecast to ensure we are prepared to extend our services in the event of bad weather" he said.

"I would appeal to anyone who sees someone sleeping rough during the bad weather and is vulnerable to get in touch with our outreach team."

When will Storm Darragh hit?

Storm Darragh is the fourth named storm of the season, following storms Bert and Conall in November.

It is due to arrive in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from Friday with the Met Office warning of gusts of winds up to 80mph (130km/h) along coasts and headlands.

Yellow warnings for rain and wind begin at 15:00 GMT on Friday.

The rain warning is set to expire at noon on Saturday but wind warnings remain in force until 06:00 on Sunday.

Gusts between 60-70mph (100-115km/h) are likely inland before winds ease from the west through Saturday afternoon.

Power cuts are likely, potentially affecting mobile phone coverage and other essential services, according to the Met Office.

It also expects travel disruption to road, rail, air and ferry services, while gusts could cause damage to buildings and trees.

The strong winds are also likely to cause large waves with beach debris affecting coastal roads and seafront properties.

Met Éireann, the Republic of Ireland's weather service, has issued their second highest level of warning for wind, Status Orange, across the country from Friday evening until 10:00 on Saturday.

A yellow warning for rain has also been issued for 13 counties from late on Friday night until breakfast time on Saturday.

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